"Going down is easy, right up to when you hit the bottom. Ask any drop of water. The hard part is climbing up again."
- Richard Dragon, 52 Volume 2
In my previous post Meeting Thy Maker- A review of "Death of the New Gods" I discussed my feelings
towards the DC Universe and how things operate in an environment where there is
more than one universe. It is a place where there is a multiverse and
phenomena’s like parallel universes, time travel, and paradoxes are the norm. I
will not go into length because if I did so I would have to write in volumes
not paragraphs. The DC Universe is mammoth in depth and scale and trying to
sort out all of its kinks would require a degree in astrophysics and some
knowledge in time travel. I am just a mere amateur and I know there are those
with far greater knowledge than me that have tried to explain it all and found
themselves lost in a maze of riddles.
The problem with writing a review for DC Comic’s series “52” is the fact
that it is a four volume series that covers all the things I just mentioned and
more! I wrote a previous draft and found that within ten minutes I had a page
and half complete for my introduction alone. If I were to continue writing the
review I would have easily knocked out at least ten pages and let’s be honest,
nobody wants to read a post that is that long.
I purchased “52” at the newly deceased World’s Biggest Bookstore. That
was my favourite bookstore but now it is just rubble soon to be converted into
a stretch of restaurants which I am sure will all be generic and boring (just a
hunch). I read “52” during the Queen Victoria Day long weekend in 2010.
This turned out to be the best long weekend of my life. I had cottage offers
but I passed on them all to stay home and read this newly purchased comic book
mini-series. I still remember walking home with the comics in hand including a
delicious Subway sub (even the guy who made it complimented on how delicious it
looked). I was quite excited to read it and spent the entire weekend doing so.
Now outside of that the weekend was great for other reasons but I won’t go into
too much detail. I will say this though, I have been trying to recreate that
weekend for five years now but as the old saying goes “You can’t go home
again.”
“52” didn’t disappoint in the slightest. By the time I completed reading
it on Monday afternoon I was blown away. It felt like I was part of the
adventure. Like I just left the theatre after watching an exciting, thrilling,
touching, heartbreaking, and epic summer blockbuster. All of the characters had
rich stories and the art work and writing were first rate. While reading I
often like to add music in my head. kind of like adding my own soundtrack and
score to the story. I did just that yet again and it really brought everything
to life to give it that feel like I was being whisked away on an adventure.
The story does not focus on the main heroes of the DC universe but they do have
a say and part to play. It mainly focuses on the secondary and minor characters
and how their lives shape events in a year where there big guns like Superman,
Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the main players of the Justice
League are taking a sabbatical due to events in a previous series called “Infinite
Crisis”. The whole concept of “The Crisis” is explained in my
previous post Meeting Thy Maker- A Review of "Death of the New Gods".
Even the Green Lantern Corps (The Space Cops) are stretched to the limit
as the universe is very much on the mend after the massive epic that the “Infinite
Crisis” was. So with all the all-stars taking a break the bit players get a
chance to shine and certainly do not disappoint. Their adventures play a
central role and by the end their exploits have dramatic events on the entire
multiverse.
The main characters are Booster Gold, a pretty boy and former Justice
League member who is more concerned with his sponsorship deals and publicity
than any altruistic endeavours. He is also accompanied by his sidekick Skeet’s,
a flying robotic butler (think Apple’s Siri only far more advanced). There is
Ralph Dinby aka the “Elongated Man” who is coping with the loss of his
wife. There is Gotham PD detective Rene Montoya whose life is rescued from the
gutter by the charmingly mysterious hero known as “The Question”. There
is Steel, a friend of Superman who takes up defending the ethical
and moral compass of Metropolis against Lex Luthor. The fearsome Black
Adam finds that falling in love would lead to his greatest heartbreak and
nearly the start of World War III. Adam Strange, Starfire, and Animal
Man find themselves stranded on distant planet and while venturing to get
back to our galaxy find themselves face to face with an old villain who has
pulled a supposed one-eighty and a new villain looking to take over the
universe. Dr. Will Magnus creator of the “Metal Men” is kidnapped and forced
to work with a conglomerate of evil mad scientists who are working with a
dangerous and deranged organization looking to take over Gotham and whatever
else they can get their hands on. This is the same organization that The
Question is investigating and enlisting Detective Montoya to help stop.
All of the stories are in some way interconnected (which is always a sign of a
good story in my books) and without giving too much away Booster Gold and
time traveling expert Rip Hunter go on an adventure so vast in the final
pages that their story alone could have spawned a ten volume epic. “52”
has it all from the beginning to its epic and massive ending. It starts with a
bang and certainly ends with one. It is charming, funny, touching,
heartbreaking, and leaves with you a big smile on your face and that feeling
that despite all the craziness everything will turn out fine. If you are
looking for an adventure unlike any other and one that you will never forget
then “52” is definitely for you!
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