Superhero Times: a service of Action Online
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Grant Morrison used the first two issues of Final Crisis to weave together a picture of the DC Universe that showed how a coming disaster was forming around the edges and how no one was quite sure how and when things would finally fall apart, and Issue 3 shows the beginning of the end.
While the first two issues may have been difficult for casual readers (and some long-time readers) to follow, this is the issue that starts to pull all the little threads together and put in motion a single, large event that threatens the status quo of the DC Universe. It’s easy to complain that we didn’t arrive here fast enough or in a manner more easily comprehendible to the masses, but looking back at what Morrison started with, it’s easy to see that Final Crisis is following the same world-ending-mega-series formula that has come before, most notably in Crisis on Infinite Earths. What is different about Morrison’s story has been the structure. For better or for worse, Morrison has structured his story more realistically so that the reveal has been less obvious and not tied down to the formula of heroes punching villains by page 12 of every issue.
Final Crisis 3 manages to address some of the events that have drawn the attention (and ire) of readers over the past few months. Barry Allen’s return is discussed. Superman has been neutralized. And the events in Bludhaven are coming into context. Morrison even departs from his soft-sell scan through the DC Universe to start moving at a much faster pace through the events of the story. You can feel the excitement and the energy ramping up to the book’s conclusion which ends with a very strong cliffhanger. If anything, the book is a reward to those who have trusted Morrison’s story to guide them to where they needed to go.
On the visual front, J. G. Jones continues to deliver pages you want to look at. His breakdowns and designs are stunning and emotive and he handles a wide array of characters with ease. His schedule has been rushed and he will soon be getting a hand from Carlos Pacheco as you can see a bit of a dip in the exacting details on each character, but he is still steps above many other artists in the industry and still provides beautiful pages.
Final Crisis has provided an amazing story so far and promises to remain a must-read for the remainder of the series. While some may find Morrison’s unusual storytelling process un-nerving, taking the time to digest it will leave readers with a satisfaction that is rare in the comic book industry.