Final Crisis #5 (OF 7)

Work that ass, honey!

Well, I guess DC's greatest heroines are put in their proper heroic context on the covers of Final Crisis issues. 

that not the real cover. http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/comics/?cm=10318

Just reread the first four issues in anticipation of this. Very stoked. 

can't wait!

Seems back on track.  Looking forward to it.

@Muady: I like that better.

It's been awhile, I'm gonna have to refresh myself.

This is gonna be really good, I can feel it in my bones.

Can we all agree that this event delievered on all fronts so far? Unlike a certain event that just ended last week....

I was disappointed with the last issue (it felt like it had a lot of love for those familiar with the DCU which I'm still a newbie too) but as long as this one covers Libra and crew I'll be happy.

I can't believe it, a book written by Grant Morrison that I'm actually excited to read.

I hope this keeps getting better. Last issue was a bit better bu on the whole I'm not too impressed. It all feels like a big throwaway event that isn't really going to have any major aftereffects, at least not on any books I'm interested in.

This has been the only major event I've followed that hasn't disappointed. I know next to nothing about the DCU aside from the Big Three Two (never cared too deeply about Wonderwoman) and have really bloody enjoyed this for what it was. J. G. Jones faltering with the art duties dampens it's goodness a bit (Pachelo's art is just too much of a departure from Jones. Matt Broom or Ryan Sook would've been a better fit I think). I'm also not sure how half of these tie-ins work. I want it all in supersized trade with Revelations, Resist and Submit packed therin and arranged chronilogically. Still, this is ridiculous fun for me, anyway.

last issue was totally boss.  i'm going to go watch road warrior. 

I've enjoyed all the tie-ins more than this regular series, but still, I'm looking forward to this. And I hope you guys are looking forward to answering my 300 questions after I read it. =D

This book is how Secret Invasion should have been !!!!

I hope we get more JG Jones this issue than last

Newsarama, once again, has a preview for this and it looks really good.

Yeah this isnt the right cover. It does have Wonder Woman on it, but that isnt the pose she is in on the real cover...Plus the background is purple too.

Will somebody fight Kalibak already, COME ON! Anybody but the other guy with a tiger head that follows Billy Batson around. Oh and Wonder Woman appears to have bannick bum on this cover, warm and flat.

Great, something to the comic shop for this Thursday; FC & Revelations. Everything else can wait until I pick up my pull-list.

Holy Jeez, trying not to step in all the puddles of fanboy drool...

This event is just as problematic as SI, the only difference is in where the problems are to be found...

"Can we all agree that this event delievered on all fronts so far?"

errr.....No?

It's been extremely disappointing so far. Mind you, I've only read the core mini-series.  The preview for issue 5 bodes well but will have to wait and see.

The tag line (or one of) for Final Crisis is: 'The Day Evil Won'

Morrison delievered that to us by the end of issue three. Now obviously the heroes are going to fight back, but just think that we have 3 more issues to go (including this) it's gonna be a wild ride.

Plus, the rumors that Didio and Morrison got in a huge arguement over the ending means that Morrison was or is gonna do something HUGE for this ending.

Was I the only person who didn't notice the art change last issue?

The last page of the last issue with Darkside giving the thumbs down was beautiful

The Day Evil Won, is the tagline....  But you see, it's kind of a cop out if that's the tagline and in the end the heroes win.  Even if it takes a while and sacrifises a lot, in the end, I think if the good guys win then it isn't the day evil won, it's the day evil got the upperhand for a while.

Well, its the DAY evil won. All the evil has to do is win for one day and they've delivered on the tag-line.

@Fracta-So if they win the one day and lose the next, that completely negates there win? Evil has pretty much won in the DCU for the past 3 months during Final Crisis, meaning they are ruling earth. Thats sounds like a proper tagline to me. Just because the San Jose Sharks are gunna win the Stanley Cup this year and lose it next, does not negate their win.

Jeez, guys. It's a tag line. The most frivolous and and arbitrary of marketing tools. Don't work up a sweat over it.

I just bought this because I already have all the others and I want to see what is supposed to happen to Batman in the end.  I can't wait until I have the last issue so I can sell them all on Ebay.

Reading some of the reviews I missed some plot points but that makes me like this issue even more. I'm not really familiar with all the smaller characters so it's neat trying to take it all in. Who's the guy at the end?

"Who's the guy at the end?"

For some reason that made me lol. Weird.

I also find it fun and pleasant that this book makes me think while I'm reading it.

@s1lent, I am in no way sure... But maybe the Monitor guy became the New God of knowledge, Metron... or maybe he became something completely new, like it was said to him.

Oh my God!!  Why do I keep reading this crap? I was hoping that this issue would be the one that Batman R.I.P. all ties into so I could read what that is all about and never go near anything that says Final Crisis on it ever again.  This shit makes no damn sense!!

@ robby

Didio said in an interview with newsarama that the rip finale would be in final crisis 6 

@robby  : and the solicits have been saying Final Crisis 6...the one with Batman on the cover is where Batman's story wraps up.

I loved the Green Lantern stuff.  And Black Adam, Black Adam = WIN.

This series is getting more conventional by the issue, which isn't an inherently bad or good thing... but I've yet to see anything much that couldn't've been done in an old arc of Morrison's JLA. Okay, so we're still being teased about the fabric of reality being switched around, but unless there are real consequences then that's just, well, talk. It's still damn entertaining, though. Maybe it's just me, but I liked the first three issues more. I liked how the vague threat and sense of foreboading was laid out in FC 1-3 more than I do the actual battles shown in FC 4-5, which are fairly typical. The line from the Japanese superhero about "You just shot a celebrity! How'll you explain this to his fans?!" made me laugh.

@Ruo21: You're the third person I've encountered who "didn't notice" the art switches. At least in the last issue it was a real glaring juxtaposition of styles as far as I could see. For whatever reason I thought the switches were less glaring in this issue. If it means we don't have to wait 10 weeks between issues, though, I have no problem. I think Pacheco is more than good enough, but all the pages I really like are Jones's work.

@robby: Dude, wanting to buy the next issues just so you can sell them on eBay? You're not going to make much of a profit. Why not just use your money to buy something you actually like or understand? As far as it "making no damn sense"--it's just a big battle, basically, except Morrison uses a lot of clever/gimmicky phrases to make it seem like the fabric of reality is changing behind the scenes, and the reader can either find those ideas interesting or annoying. I think it's been a mixed bag. But you know who the good guys are, you know who the bad guys are, and you know what's at stake (EVERYTHING). If the actual dialogue and descriptions seem confusing, that's because they're supposed to read that way. If reality was changing and you thought the earth was imploding in some way you never saw before, you'd probably describe things in random, bizarre ways too.

And don't expect the "RIP finale" next issue to make perfect sense. Just try to appreciate it for what it is and think of all the things it COULD mean or imply. Sounds like homework, I know.

Tigers riding on giant dogs!!  good shit

The weirdly masochistic and incestuous sexuality Mary Marvel creeps the HELL out of me.

Part of me wonders about children reading it, but I'm thinking it would go over the heads of kids not mature enough to understand it anyway.

I hated evil-Mary in countdown. But Morrison's evil-Mary is geniune, i like it.

I take it she's possessed by a new god then?

@ Muady - yes, Mary is one of them. It is kinda creepy when you realise who it is.

Ah, thing is I'm not familiar with the New Gods at all, so I wouldn't know what to pick up on in order to tell. Who is it?

Well I just realized a male New God is possesing her (this is why rereads helps). That is pretty damned creepy.

Check out Templar's spoiler review above.

super creepy.  Especially after you look at the panel when she/he is stradling poor poor Freddie :-O

"Hal, I love you but we only have 24 hours to save the Earth!"

Hal! - a-ah - saviour of the universe!
Hal!- a-ah - He'll save everyone of us!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Hal! - a-ah - he's a miracle!
Hal!- a-ah - king of the impossible!

He's for everyone of us!
Stands for everyone of us!
He'll save with a mighty hand,
Every man, every woman,
Every child - with a mighty flash!

Hal! - a-ah!
Hal! - a-ah - he'll save everyone of us!

Just a man
With a man's courage
He knows nothing but a man
But he can never fail
No one but the pure in heart
May find the golden grail
Oh oh - oh oh
Hal...

The guy is so damn cool, Queen wrote a song about him. ;-)

Found that at comicbycomic dotcom. Freakin' hilarious!

Wait, wait, wait...

 Did Libra really tell Luthor he'd give him first in line with Supergirl? Does that mean what I think it means, like after they beat her and subdue her, Luthor gets first dibs at uhm, tearing up her cape? So to speak?

@Fractal - Yeah. I was jawdropped that was on the book, too. :D

I enjoy the reality of Libra.  If there was an super-powered evil leader who could subdue beautiful super heroines, they would more than likely keep them around for "entertainment".  I know that alot of people are not liking this bit, but I like it for it's realism and not avoiding this issue.

Now that I know Mary Marvel is possessed by a male, that scene with "her" and Freddie is officially creepy.

That two page spread with Frankenstein on the motorcycle, friggin' awesome. I don't know why there is not a Grant Morrison Frankenstein book?

such a sweet book

@Truthseeker - There is.  Seven soldiers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Soldiers_of_Victory

I officially HATE Final Crisis.  It's Morrison at his very worst.  Nothing good can come from this.

Man, I'm so glad I invested in Seven Soldiers of Victory because reading it really helps out a lot with the New Gods bit. And the fact that Mr. Miracle is talking about having to escape the black hole that is Darkseid.

I have to say, I noticed the difference in art, but I wasn't bugged by it as much as some of my friends. I think this issue worked out a bit better. It's always nice to see Pacheco on the GLs. It translate into a nice line-wide consistency of their appearances.

You know, I'm trying to figure out and haven't been given any firm answers... Is this what happened because of the outcome of the "Darkseid Is" storyline Morrison wrote? Because I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be that... 

Ok, so who's the guy with the Rubik's cube again? Just when I thought I'd finally caught up with who everyone is..

I hated this book.  I just don't understand what is going on.  I'm trying to decide if I'm going to finish this or not

Here's the rundown:

1. He solves the "Rubik Cube" in 17 moves after the cloaked guy(detective chimp?) talks about it not being solvable in under 18 moves, and some stuff about "gods number".

2.  He's in a wheelchair, bound to a chair as it were.

3. His eyes glow blue

4. The "Rubik Cube" goes "ping!" when he solves it, so the indication is that its a Motherboxx (which is the last thing we heard make that noice).

So I think all bets are on Metron, the New God in the chair that we saw at the begining of the mini.

but I thought Tattooed Man had become Metron?  Or maybe he was just like the Japanese kids with the Metron tatooes?

Just when I think I know what's going on, I don't.  I love it.  It may all come crashing down at the end of the last issue, but until then, I'm loving the ride. 

Just when I think I don't know what's going on, I don't. I don't like it. It may all come crashing down at the end of the last issue, but until then, I'm as confused as a priest in a whore house.

I read up on my friend's copies. I enjoyed about 75% of this issue.

What I did like were the Lantern scenes. Those were great. He really shows how the Guardians are accustomed to weilding huge amounts of authority "you have 24 hours to save the universe". Heh heh.

All the scenes with the japanese super team were a big huge curve ball for me. I really liked his inclusion of branes and all that. Morison's been reading some Brian Greene. I do think he needed some serious editing. This suffers from terminal too-many-ideas-itis. It's crammed and cramped. Reads very jumbled and awkward.

I can see how someone who is familiar with all the characters and all the references would get an erection reading this. But it leaves me with a semi at best.

I'll also add that I have the same criticism as I've had before in R.I.P. When reading this I don't "feel" anything really. I'm more interested in stories that happen to people than events that occur in universes. It feels to me like the people and their thoughts/feelings are not prominent enough to make me emotionally invested. The story here makes me curious about what will happen next but when I close the book, I don't care enough to want to think about it much or want to buy the next issue. In my mind I'm like "oh yeah, universe is folding on itself and whatnot, A deity takes over the world. Meh." But if I had been made to feel what the characters are feeling from the beginning, drawn into their thoughts and mindset, I would care about what happens to "them" because I can identify with that very directly. I don't know if that's a G-Mo thing or just an event thing. Haven't read enough of either to know.

Dig?

Art was good, but the story sucked (except the Green LAntern parts).  I just can't seem to follow a Morrison story line. 

"This suffers from terminal too-many-ideas-itis. It's crammed and cramped. Reads very jumbled and awkward."

Totally agree. This is my main problem with the book in general. It's like Morrison is trying too hard to jam things in where they don't fit. Like packing a suitcase full of clothes -- sometimes it's better to leave some things out, so the things you do put in aren't all mashed together & ruined.

Or bring more suitcases... heh.

This will be the first major event series I will be dropping before it concludes.  I just can't stomach another incomprehensible Morrision series.