Tomorrow marks the conclusion of Identity Crisis. Perhaps you’ve heard of it.
At Fanboy Rampage, there’s discussion of the one-page preview from #7 at Newsarama. Promotional copywriters at DC inform us that “a new level of humanity has been brought to the DC Universe.” They cleverly neglect to specify whether that level is low or high.
In the comments section at the Rampage, V luminary Matt Craig has his own thoughts on how the story will end:
“It’s forty-seven pages of a maskless Batman staring out of the page at the reader.
“And slowly fondling himself.
“Saying ‘You’re MY WIFE NOW…'”
At the Ninth Art, Bulent Yusuf takes the imminent arrival as an opportunity to eviscerate the writing:
“That’s not to say that topics like murder, rape and brainwashing can never be discussed within the pages of a comic book, but there are better ways of handling them – and Brad Meltzer has given a master-class in how not to do it. Where he aimed for lofty artistic heights, he’s plumbed the depths of vacant sensationalism. Where he earnestly sought accolades for thoughtful maturity, he’s earned a first-class diploma in emotional pornography. All of which is a complicated way of saying that enthusiasm is no substitute for talent.”
Even when it’s over, it won’t really be over. Looking through solicits for the next couple of months, there’s no shortage of “follow-up” stories in books like Teen Titans. And by the time the last of those dribble out, readers should be up to their necks in titles that claim to be prequels for Countdown, DC’s next big whater. Many are happily taking out the jeweler’s notch to try and figure out just whose corpse that is on the cover, but I’m gripped with suspense of another sort. Will DC be able to get both the hardcover and the paperback collections of IC on the shelves by the time Countdown hits?
Countdown will be written by Judd Winnick, who gave the world Graduation Day, and Geoff Johns, who thinks gunning down babies is a great way to kick off a story arc. Yes, smirking revisionism and gore-spattered nostalgia will join forces, and variant covers shall paper the land.
(Edited to add that Greg Rucka will be part of the Countdown writing team, too. I must have blocked it out, because it kind of makes me sad.)