Broken Frontier

We’re coming to the end of our Countdown-related coverage at Broken Frontier as a year’s worth of speculation, satisfyingly accurate predictions (we had a few here and there) and downright embarrassingly wrong guesses (and we certainly had a few of those too!) as to the DCU’s Bigger Picture draw to a close.

Next week we’ll reflect a little on the last year but now, for the penultimate time, it’s our Spoiler Warning: Read no further if you’ve not had your DC fix this week and don’t want to read about key story elements.

Events this week…

In Countdown to Final Crisis #1: Jimmy Olsen comes to terms with his new status quo while Jason Todd carries on where he left off. Mary Marvel confronts Black Adam as Buddy Blank accepts his destiny. The Challengers give the Monitors their new mission statement and Holly and Harley provide us with a moment of reflection in the calm before the storm...

Elsewhere in the DCU
(stories this week that may, or may not, tie into the Bigger Picture)

Batman: R.I.P. is coming and the lead-in can be found in the pages of Batman #675.

It’s the grand finale as all your questions are answered in The Death of the New Gods #8.

The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel discover Amanda Waller’s masterplan doesn’t just extend to the Salvation Run conspiracy in Superman/Batman #47.

The Phantom Stranger assembles Shadowpacts from across time to save the Multiverse from the Sun King in Shadowpact #24.

And over on Earth-50 the latest world-shattering event for that universe continues in Number of the Beast #2.

Continuity Corner
(interesting tidbits from this week’s issues! )

The Death of the New Gods – A major plot point is explained this week. It’s been a little confusing for some time now as to how Jimmy Olsen was a conduit for the souls/powers of the New Gods at the same time that the Source had them stored on its second Source Wall. It turns out that fusing the souls of New Gods magnifies their powers and abilities (as seen when the five Forever People created the Infinity Man). By combining the souls of all New Gods together the resultant power would have given Darkseid control of reality. Darkseid plundered the Source’s second wall and hid the souls within Jimmy Olsen and now, protected by his Soul Fire Formula, is able to utilize this near-omnipotent power. The Source introduces its own champion however when it pits the soul of Orion on Darkseid, leading into events seen in last week’s Countdown to Final Crisis #2.

In the aftermath New Genesis and Apokolips are merged into a single planet. With the souls of the New Gods freed can a rebirth be far behind? (The Death of the New Gods #8)

The Coming Crisis – When Superman questions the Source’s callous behavior it tells him his comprehension of its actions is not needed and "enlightenment will dawn in the coming months". It then fades away as its time on this plane of existence is over. (The Death of the New Gods #8)

The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul – In conversation with assassin archer Merlyn, Talia is adamant that Bruce Wayne will be hers once again. (Batman #675)

A Crisis in Time? – The current Shadowpact, alongside past and future incarnations, are teamed together to stop the Sun King consuming reality. The Sun King exists simultaneously across time in different eras and the Shadowpact’s true purpose is to act as an advance guard against the entity in each century. (Shadowpact #24)

Salvation Run – Superman and Batman’s mission to destroy all Kryptonite comes to a surprising conclusion when they discover that the largest deposit is to be found in an underground military bunker. Here Superman is confronted by the Kryptonite-powered team the Last Line – soldiers prepared as weapons by Amanda Waller and the U.S. Government in the event of Superman going rogue. Batman chastises Waller about her prison planet conspiracy but she is unapologetic, explaining humanity also needs safeguards against the super-heroes as well as the super-villains. (Superman/Batman #47)

Brother Eye-Spy – Brother Eye decides a new OMAC prototype is needed and transforms his creator Buddy Blank into a more familiar version of the character. This incarnation will operate with a "limited amount of free will". (Countdown to Final Crisis #1)

The Source Wall – Much to the chagrin of the other Monitors Nix Uotan, the "youngest" of their number, enlists the Atom (Ray Palmer), Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, Forager and Donna Troy as border guards of the Multiverse. Their duties will include monitoring the Monitors themselves. (Countdown to Final Crisis #1)

Join us next week for the final regular Out for the Count feature.

"It’s the end. But the moment has been prepared for..."