Review: Countdown 04

Posted by Joshua S. Hill

April 8, 2008

What was supposed to be the backbone of the DC Universe has failed miserably. But nevertheless we are only a few issues away from DC’s Final Crisis. What will we see? Will Batman die? Will we be left with multiple dimensions, or just one? Will Mary Marvel finally grow up?

These are questions that we’ll soon see answered. But has it all come too late for Countdown to be counted as any sort of a success?

I sat down with Countdown #4 with all the hopes that had been built over the past few weeks of decent story. I celebrated too soon. I assumed that the level of quality would continue, but issue #4 has once again returned to the lackluster and mediocre Countdown that we’ve all come to remember.

With the single digits of the countdown to Final Crisis came, finally, decent storytelling. The storyline was brought to a single cohesive track, and all the past disparate storylines all began to make sense. Morticoccus was revealed, and somehow was the ‘Great Disaster.’ Granny Goodness was finally unmasked and, then, dealt with.

But apparently Paul Dini, along with Sean McKeever and Keith Griffin, decided that it was time again to bring us back to insufferable storytelling and a plot development that sewage sludge would be proud of.

I’m just realizing that this is that review that so many of you have been looking for. The one where I actually dislike a book I’ve just read.

It started out so good. Mary Marvel’s chest emblazoned across the front of the book. But almost immediately – and I’m talking within at least 2 pages – it … apparently sticking together to help solve a massive worldwide problem is of no concern to most. Firestorm, Harley and Holly, and Jason Todd all decide it’s time to split.

Of course, Jason Todd – who has swapped between insufferable and somewhat heroic the entire storyline – is apparently, at heart, 12 years old. Donna’s no better; baiting someone she knows isn’t necessarily in the right frame of mind.

Then Mary Marvel disappears as well, only to encounter Darkseid who gives her back the evil power and…

I don’t even know why it happened. What reason, other than the fact she was apparently pregnant for 3 panels before she finds Darkseid in her living room, does she have for crumbling for the power? A member of one of the most powerful families in the DCU, and she apparently has no self control whatsoever.

The art in this issue was similarly poor. Mary Marvel could not have been drawn any worse if someone had been paid money, and the fact that Holly Robinson seems to be petting Harley’s chest in one of the panels just shows a lack of thought given to the art.

The issue ends on what can only be called an anti-climax, and if not for my innate need to know what happens next I could consider not even picking up #3.

All in all, this issue was not a good issue. Pick it up only in the hope that issue 3 will be better, and that what happened here might shed some light on the endgame. 2 out of 5 for me! If you’re not stressed, don’t bother!

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