As I understand it (and I'm not sure I do), the purpose of theFinal Crisis mini-series is to redefine the DC Universe, give it a modern sheen (without totally discarding its rich past), fine-tune some of its concepts (especially the New Gods) and lay the groundwork for DC's future.Writer Grant Morrison has all of seven issues to manage all that, so perhaps it's understandable that the series still feels disjointed. He's covering a heck of a lot of ground here, peopled by an army of characters.
This issue opens with a short but exciting episode on Oa, as the Green Lanterns finally realize they're facing a deadly foe. Back on Earth, the battle continues between the resistance and those who have fallen under Darkseid's influence.
From that point on we jump around in the story, never spending much time on any one aspect. Capt. Marvel and Black Adam fight the now evil Mary Marvel, Mr. Miracle returns, Darkseid asserts himself in a chilling manner, and we finally get a hint as to what the deal is with the de-powered Monitor.
There are still plenty of things we don't get - a look at the Flash family, for example, or more than a passing mention of Batman or Superman.
And I know the idea is that the bad guys are winning here, but there was one unnecessary and lewd comment about Supergirl (who is, after all, a teenager) that could have been excised.
The art is still very strong here, as Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and Jesus Merino turn in some stunning work. The cover by JG Jones is also excellent, of course.
As with past issues, it's the story that has to bear the burden of this huge event, and it does seem to be shaping up for a doozy of an ending - but we won't know for sure until we (eventually) get there.
Grade: B
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