Broken Frontier

A very Happy New Year to one and all as we kick off 2008 with a double helping of Out for the Count!

I’ve speculated a bit over the months that, perhaps, there’s going to be a majorly metatextual vibe to Final Crisis. For more thoughts on that check out the discussion of all things Fourth World in this week’s Continuity Corner where I chuck out a few random thoughts. Lots of ground to cover, so here’s our customary Spoiler Warning: Read no further if you’ve not had your DC fix this fortnight and don’t want to read about key story elements.

Events this fortnight…

In Countdown to Final Crisis #s 18-17: It’s a wonderful life no more for Ray Palmer as the Monitors make a festive visit to his new home on Earth-51. Mary Marvel comes to her senses, much to Eclipso’s discomfort. There’s a traitor in the ranks of the Challengers from Beyond. And the true agendas of both the Monitors and Monarch are revealed...

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

Superman’s stay in the new future of the classic Legion continues in part 3 of the arc in Action Comics #860.

It’s game over for the Multiversal warriors in the conclusion in Countdown: Arena #4.

More from Earth-8 in Countdown Presents: Lord Havok and the Extremists #3.

Forerunner’s story, post-Monarch, plays out in Countdown to Adventure #5.

Big changes in store for major player Eclipso in the pages of Countdown to Mystery #4.

More pieces of the puzzle of who is killing the Fourth World characters slot into place in The Death of the New Gods #4.

There’s an epilogue to the Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul in Detective Comics #840.

All stand for the third lesson in 52 Aftermath: Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #3.

Plenty of Apokoliptian Demi-God nastiness in 52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen #5.

Batman searches for the truth behind the Salvation Run in Gotham Underground #3.

The ramifications of the Sinestro Corps War impact on the GLC in Green Lantern #26 and that selfsame conflict impacts on the Titans in Teen Titans #54.

On the peripheries there’s more timeline chaos in both Metal Men #5 and the quite wonderful The Brave and the Bold #9. Earth-50’s very own "Crisis" reaches its next phase in Wildstorm: Revelations #1. Finally there are tie-in reprints from the 70s in Countdown Special: The Atom #s 1-2 and everything you could want to know about a certain cosmic conflict and beyond in Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps: Secret Files and Origins #1.

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

The Anomalies – "Fifth Challenger" June Robbins interestingly refers to the Challs as "death-cheaters". Given their status as the only DC characters in existence operating outside the Book of Destiny surely the Challengers are the ultimate anomalies? (The Brave and the Bold #9)

The Death of the New Gods – The Forever People are revealed to have died at the hands of the New Gods-Killer some months ago. Metron’s investigations reveal that the killer is working on behalf of another power and sets out to trace it via the timestream and the Bleed, before finally tracking it down in the distant past of an unnamed planet (possibly New Earth - is that supposed to be Anthro in these scenes?). The new God-Killer is described by the temporarily-revived Forever People (via Mr. Miracle's use of the Anti-Life Equation) as "the most unexpected visitor of all".

Interesting moments here are the way the guiding hand behind events is significantly described as an outside force and how Metron appears to be staring straight out of the page and into our reality when he finally confronts the perpetrator. Could be something or it could be nothing, but it would be interesting if the previously-mentioned Megaverse was revealed as the world outside the DCU’s printed pages. And has Metron realised that the real killers of the New Gods are the creators of the DC line? (The Death of the New Gods #4)

The Temptation of Mary Marvel – After Mary’s epic battle with Eclipso in Countdown to Final Crisis #s 18-17, Jean Loring is separated from the evil entity. Crispus Allen, the new Spectre, ensures that Eclipso is once more returned to original host Bruce Gordon. Interestingly, this issue has an appearance by Dove despite the fact that she seemingly died in the slaughter depicted in Titans East Special #1. (Countdown to Mystery #4)

Salvation Run – The villains of Gotham are running scared as the Suicide Squad continues to abduct super-villains and suspect the Penguin of collusion with the government. Elsewhere the Batman Family’s investigation into the conspiracy sees the return of a familiar costumed heroine... but is this Spoiler Stephanie Brown or someone else altogether? (Gotham Underground #3)

The Sinestro Corps War – The Titans defeat Starro who is working for the Sinestro Corps on New Earth. (Teen Titans #54)

The Guardians create the mysterious Alpha Lanterns in the wake of the war. (Green Lantern #26)

It’s confirmed that the Anti-Monitor has been imprisoned as a power source for a Black Lantern. (Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps: Secret Files and Origins #1)

The Search for Ray Palmer – Cuddly Bob the Monitor turns out to be not so cuddly after all when we learn he has only been using the Challengers from Beyond to hunt down and kill Ray Palmer, the "key" to events.

On his arrival on Earth-51 the Atom witnessed the death this reality’s Ray Palmer and took his place. His counterpart had made an astounding discovery that was more startling than the Multiverse (the Megaverse?). Apparently contradicting the various Search for Ray Palmer Specials, the Atom journeyed through the Multiverse to find a new place to live in peace. No mention is made of the Atom tattoos or the various characters on alternate Earths who claimed Palmer had recruited them to his cause in anticipation of the Great Disaster (Countdown to Final Crisis #18)

The Monitors – Bob and Solomon have secretly been in league all along. Solomon’s plan all along appears to have been to merge all other Monitors into himself and become the Prime Monitor. To this end he betrays and absorbs Bob but he has left it too late as the Multiverse has changed the individual Monitors too much for his scheme to work. (Countdown to Final Crisis #17)

Monarch’s Manipulations – Left for dead by her former mentor Monarch last month, Forerunner falls in with a group of space pirates. (Countdown to Adventure #5)

Lord Havok’s refusal to join Monarch’s forces does not go down well with the would-be Multiversal dictator and he sends a taskforce of Multiversal doppelgangers to Earth-8. (Countdown Presents: Lord Havok and the Extremists #3)

Superman of Earth-30 becomes the latest counterpart to join Monarch’s army, although the Earth-31 Man of Steel escapes to warn the rest of the Multiverse of Monarch’s plans. The Captain Atom Brigade attack, only to learn they were tricked into facing down the despot in order that he could absorb their power. All of the Multiverse’s Captain Atoms are apparently killed including Breach who, despite being identified as the Captain Atom of the 52’s Earth-8 (rather than the Earth-8 of the original Multiverse ... yes this is all getting very confusing) is apparently the same Breach who disappeared in Infinite Crisis. (Countdown: Arena #4)

Monarch wants to create one ordered universe under his rule (Countdown to Final Crisis #17)

Earthwatch

Earth-50 – While it’s probably unconnected to the Bigger Picture, events on the Wildstorm Earth have been taking on dramatic significance of late. With various characters having been shown the nightmare to come for their world in the recent Armageddon Specials, the action moves into a new miniseries this week. We know this post-apocalyptic future was caused by the sudden arrival of "new superhumans" on Earth-50 which was followed by a destructive conflict and planetary cataclysm. Might just be worth keeping an eye out to see if this has any link to Final Crisis... (Wildstorm: Revelations #1)

Next week we enter the final third of the Countdown...