Broken Frontier

The battle for Apokolips has begun and we have Kirby Kreations everywhere, from the New Gods to OMACs to a potential new Kamandi back in that bunker on Earth. In fact, over the course of the last 40 issues or so, probably the only Kirby DC characters who haven’t turned up are Atlas and the Dingbats of Danger Street. And hey there’s still time...

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 #10: The Pied Piper’s role in the Countdown is finally revealed. Darkseid’s surprising prisoners of war are freed. Mary Marvel is repowered while Holly and Harley get a godly upgrade. Brother Eye runs rampant on Apokolips and Granny Goodness gets well and truly toasted…

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

Witness a twist in the OMAC saga in Batman and the Outsiders #4.

Some intriguing hints as to the future of the DCU plus Superman/Silent Knight and Aqua-Family/Teen Titans team-ups in The Brave and the Bold #10.

Selina’s time on the Hell Planet of Salvation Run continues… or does it? See for yourself in Catwoman #76.

We say goodbye to a major character in the Fourth World mythos in The Death of the New Gods #6.

The JLA take on the Suicide Squad as their investigation into the Salvation Run conspiracy comes to a head in Justice League of America #18.

Cassie Sandsmark’s involvement with events surrounding the New Gods reaches its conclusion in Wonder Girl #6.

And don’t forget that across the Multiverse, on Earth-50, there are more world-shaking storylines in Wildstorm: Revelations #4.

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

The Coming Crisis – Thanks to the Book of Destiny we get to see the events of Aquaman and Mera’s wedding day retold. Current B&B major bad-guy Megistus, who is acquiring alchemical knowledge from throughout the history of the DCU, targets Aqualad for the wisdom of the Atlanteans of old he unknowingly carries. In the course of the battle Megistus reveals "A great change is coming… a collision of cosmos beyond your understanding." Could this simply be a reference to Crisis On Infinite Earths, is he speaking about the events of Final Crisis or is this something else altogether? Defeated, he leaves the body of Oceanus, the Aqua-villain he was possessing. Oceanus promptly expires, but not before his eyes reflect images of the dying people of a "Red Earth". (The Brave and the Bold #10)

Brother I Spy – Brother I/Eye succeeds in taking over Apokolips. Be afraid… (Countdown to Final Crisis #10)

Back on Earth the Outsiders’ investigation of Jardine Enterprises has led to the discovery of an OMAC that has been advanced with alien tech and a worrying conspiracy involving genetically-engineered lifeforms. The captured and rebooted OMAC (now known as REMAC) is touted as a potential new member of the team... (Batman and the Outsiders #4)

The Death of the New Gods – Lots of developments on this front this week including the revelation of the killer’s identity – it’s Himon... and his major victim this time around is none other than Orion! Elsewhere, Darkseid continues to observe the events of the Countdown on his monitor screens and Superman and Mr. Miracle discover the second Source Wall. This is the location where the Source has stored the souls of the slain New Gods as its power source in its quest to reunite with its other half. (The Death of the New Gods #6)

Granny Goodness becomes the Source/Himon’s latest victim when she’s incinerated on Apokolips. (Countdown to Final Crisis #10)

Hercules, on Zeus’s apparent orders, has been trying to prepare for the Great Disaster by collaborating with the Female Furies to create a new order of Olympians. He comes to realise the error of trusting the Furies though.... (Wonder Girl #6)

On Apokolips, Desaad reveals to Pied Piper that, through his pipe, he can channel the Anti-Life Equation. (Countdown to Final Crisis #10)

The Tenth Age of Magic – Darkseid has kept the Olympian Pantheon trapped on Apokolips, (explaining the voices Mary heard last week). The freed Gods restore Mary’s powers to her and also imbue Holly and Harley with otherworldly abilities. (Countdown to Final Crisis #10)

Salvation Run – The Suicide Squad invade the JLA’s HQ to capture the super-villains that have sought asylum from the League. Tying in with Salvation Run #s 3-4, Batman and the JLA discover the location of the Prison Planet from undercover agent the Martian Manhunter (currently disguised as Blockbuster) and vow to investigate conditions there first hand. (Justice League of America #18)

A little continuity sidebar here but, once upon a time, JLA/Suicide Squad meetings nearly became a regular fixture. Way back in 1988, after the JSA had been written out of the DCU in The Last Days of the Justice Society of America Special, the Squad were selected to replace the Society in the JLA/JSA yearly team-up tradition. They subsequently duked it out in Justice League International #13/Suicide Squad #13. The second meeting was announced in an in-house column the following year, where we were told the Squad and the League would be playing baseball against each other (a true contender for Strange Sports Stories!). Sadly that story never saw print and the "tradition" died out after just one dual outing...

Elsewhere in the saga of the exiled bad guys, Catwoman is held in suspended animation in the underground complex Luthor sent her into in Catwoman #75. She finds herself in a fantasy version of Earth where she can control her own destiny. Little does she realize though, that in reality the machinery in the bunker, rather than providing a route home, is actually killing her. (Catwoman #76)

That’s a wrap for another seven days. Join us in a week for Superman and the Legion, more on the Kingdom Come Man of Steel and we’ll find out if Bat-Mite has any link to the Final Crisis!