Final Crisis #2 (OF 7)

So, after a first issue that delighted some and confused others, here we have the second issue of Final Crisis, Grant Morrison's apparent tribute to the DC work of Jack Kirby and the big event that yet feels like a big event.  As with issue 1, this time remained at a slow burn, things are just ratcheting slowly until everything goes to seed.  Likewise, some major things happen that may or may not be as they seem, but as for me and my kin, I'm enjoying this book.

The book starts kind of awkwardly in Japan, as "Sonny Sumo" rips out the heart of some armored barfly named Megayazkuza in a strange cosplay bar... or something... Nevertheless, Shilo Norman shows up to ask Sumo to help him form a team.  The narrative is then pulled to Nix Uotan, who's been having dreams of his former life  Added to this, he's been drawing out images of Red Son Superman and an altered Dr. Manhattan.  The focus then shifts again to Dan Turpin and his unholy a$$-kicking of the Mad Hatter for information on the missing children.  The beaten Hatter then points him to the ruins of Bludhaven.  If there's any point I had a problem with the story, it's here.  The transition feels jerky and random between these three quick scenes.  Add to the fact that it hasn't quite been set up except for Turpin's thread for why we should care, it's a little oddly placed and took me out of the story a bit.

From there, we get a beautiful drawn funeral scene by JG Jones for J'onn Jonzz.  It's one page but it's a heck of a page.  From there, we move to the Secret Society where Lex brushes J'onn's death off as easy pickings, promising to follow Libra only when he hurts Superman and is conspiring with Sivana to take power. On the flip side, both Vandal and the Human Flame have come around while Libra lets the latter know that the real threat has yet to come.  Unfortunately, Libra's flamboyance doesn't quite shine like it has before though his ominous ending words to Human Flame seem to reveal Libra might be shifting into something far more sinister for BOTH sides of this fight.

Much of the rest of the issue (and luckily my favorite part) runs like a metahuman CSI.  The Lanterns have decided to investigate Orion's death, clashing with the investigation of the JLA and Batman in particular.  Kraken sees the League as little more than "a crimefighting club' and Batman's irritated that a cosmic cop is telling what to do.  It's an inttersting back-and-forth as Hal Jordan is arrested by the Alpha Lanterns on Orion's murder and John's Stewart's attempted murder.  However, it appears the Anti-Life Equation has taken over the Corps as Kraken turns on Batman and takes him captive.

Meanwhile, Dan Turpin scours Bludhaven and meets with Reverend Good (Granny Goodness) and leads him down into the sewers of the desolated city where Kamandi and others are held for experiment and enslave.  Good seems to hint that Turpin is at least partially Darkseid (calling Kalibak his son) and Batman screams for Turpin to warn the JLA as soe Phillip K. Dick-esque machine folds over him.  Clearly, something big is happening... even if I have no clue what...

After that, the big guns go off.  For one, Clayface mimics Jimmy Olsen and sets off a bomb in the Daily Planet, seemingly killing Perry White and Lois Lane.  Elsewhere, Wally and Jay discover the bullet that killed Orion travelled through time as Barry appears through a Boom Tube being chased by... something... screaming for them to run.  Whether Lois and Perry are REALLY dead remains to be seen (I doubt it'll last) but as far as Libra hurting Superman... he DID IT.  The threat level is very much there, Libra is one scary motherf--ker.  Likewise, I doubt Barry's staying for long (perhaps this is the 3rd time he helps Wally?) but it certainly ups the level of this story to where it finally feels like some major stuff is going down.

This issue was just as strange and all over the place as last time (perhaps more so) but are tethered by some nice moments and big-time progression that sets up a good amount of mystery and intrique.  JG Jones' pencils are as sharp as ever and Morrison's writing is peppered with his usual off-kilter humor and strange imagination.  This book is certainly not for a DC neophyte and is really complex and strange, but it sure is hoolding my attentions for the time being.  I'd like Morrison to focus his plotting down so we can get some more answers and more understanding of the story, but as for this issue, I enjoyed this for sure.