Broken Frontier

After two years of 52 and Countdown, teaser posters and general waiting, Final Crisis finally hit comic shops this past Thursday. Combining the efforts of legendary scribe Grant Morrison (Animal Man) and J.G. Jones (Wanted), Final Crisis #1 does not miss in its efforts to set-up the story for an epic, comic book event that will last until the end of the year!

Issue one reintroduces the reader to the problems in the superhuman community that have been brewing for years: the Secret Society of Super-Villains, the death of the New Gods, and the growing threat from the Rogues. But new mysteries begin, as Detective Dan Turpin starts a search for six missing metahuman children, and the Green Lantern Corps investigate the murder of Orion. Combine that, the return of the red skies, and the subsequent death and resurrection of two DC heroes, and we now know that the crisis is upon us.

Grant Morrison does not fail to deliver the intrigue in this issue. Though it is lacking in the way of all-out brawls and senseless violence it… wait, no it’s not. Though it may lack the appeal and intrigue that most… no, it has both of those. Huh.

Honestly, Morrison’s work in this issue is great. The story is well-rounded, and gives the reader a little taste of everything that has made DC Comics great in the past eight years or so. It is very reminiscent of Morrison’s work on 52, which is a positive indicator in my book.

J.G. Jones’s art equals Morrison’s writing in every panel. Jones has a great background in comics, including working with Morrison on 52, as well as Marvel’s Marvel Boy, and nothing stops him from making this another major highlight in his work history.

Jones’s take on characters is ever realistic, but with an aura of fantasy. His depiction of Metron passing the spark of knowledge to Anthro, like Prometheus did to man, is nothing short of majestic. The scene where Turpin and Question are meeting on the bridge in Gotham is equally intriguing, yet darker, more sinister. Jones’s range is thoroughly challenged in this issue.

The inks and colors in this issue, provided by Alex Sinclair and Rob Leigh, respectively, superbly assist Jones in his work in this issue. The creative team for this series was aptly picked.

Final Crisis is definitely the sort of book that everyone should be picking up, whether they are a fan of DC Comics, or superheroes in general. This is it, boys and girls: the crisis to end all crises. Good vs. Evil, and the death of favorite characters and the subsequent resurrection of others. This is the Final Crisis.