Broken Frontier

With 32 weeks down and 20 to go until Final Crisis, I’m itching to see what DC has up their sleeves. However, if it’s anything like this week’s lackluster issue of Countdown, I just might shy away from it.

In the story thus far, Karate Kid is searching with Triplicate Girl’s solo copy (Una, to be precise) for a cure to the evolved OMAC virus inside him, Brother Eye is hiding out in Blüdhaven for some reason, and Jimmy Olsen becomes a fire-breathing turtle – in a manner of speaking. Plus, a whole lot of emotional baggage that makes no progress in the overall plot of the book.

Apparently Paul Dini, head writer of the book and producer of the legendary DC animated shows (such as The New Batman/Superman Adventures and Batman Beyond), should stick to television. The dialogue in this issue was filled with spelling errors and typos, things that any editor should catch on to. This issue just seemed to be thrown together. I can see the conversation between Dini and Editor Mike Carlin:

CARLIN: Dini, what’re you doing with this book? Nothing happens in this issue!

DINI: Uh… dramatic tension?

CARLIN: Oh, okay. Well what’s with all the errors here?

DINI: Uh, they’re for… style?

CARLIN: Uh-huh. Well, it’s just Countdown. Readers will buy it anyway. The fools!

CARLIN & DINI: (Shared Laughter)

Now let’s move on to the art. Howard Porter, former artist for The Flash and The Trials of Shazam flexes his pecs in this issue, and more or less gets sand kicked in his face. His splash page of Superman aside, the rest of his art is well below the Countdown standard. The faces are too long, and for some reason, each time someone gets hurt, their face cracks like glass. I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure bruises and cuts are the typical reaction of humans, even super-humans, to extended bodily harm. Personally, though, I just want to know who told Porter to draw Red Arrow like Connor Hawke. Little things like that irritate me.

So there you have it: a horrendously sub-par book this week, with few redeeming qualities. Love, loneliness, and determination are a few of the emotions you’ll find in this issue, yet all seem horribly pushed in order to fill up page space. The art was off, the story was off, and I blame the editors. Sure, a weekly book should be out on time, but it also has to be readable in order for sales to continue. Let’s just hope the Countdown #19 fairs better than this one.