From Beginning to End - 52: Week 3

It’s week three of DC’s craziest new event, 52, and it is I, Oroboros, that’ll be hitting you up with everything you need to know. Now I have warn you, the following summary is filled with descriptions of badassery, more badassery, temper tantrums, even more badassery…ah, what the hell am I doing? I suck at introductions! On to show good people!

*SPOLIERS FROM HERE ON OUT*

52: Week 3
“New World Order” (Damn it, stop reusing story names Morrison!)

Day 1:

Well things start off with a bang this week! First thing we’ve got is former Superman supporting character, Captain Maggie Sawyer, who was transferred to Gotham City PD during Gotham Central leaving her home in the middle of the night to check out a body her fellow officers have decided to inform her about. Now, I’m not expert but I don’t think any cop would leave their home in the middle of the night wearing high heels…anyway, after some idle chatter Sawyer is shocked to see that the body her subordinates have called her into check out is none other than that of: LEX LUTHOR!

While all that’s being sorted out, over the skies of Khandaq, Power Girl is doing battle with some cowboy riding a sky-cycle by the name of Terra-man. Apparently the guy robbed Ferris Air Flight 450 while it was over the Mediterranean and Power Girl, Green Lantern and Star Girl had gone to handle it.

Things are pretty much going fine until Terra-man (who really reminds of Two-Gun kid, especially with the sky-cycle) gets the upper hand on her, hits her with some sort of energy lasso and starts talking about Power Girl is one of the people responsible for what occurred during the crisis (how he knows this is a mystery) Enraged, it really look’s as if Power Girl is just going to let loose on this idiot but Khandaq’s one and only protector shows up to put a stop to it. Black Adam gives Karen a little lecture as well as telling her the exact number of people who died during the crisis before zooming off and informing her that her, as well as the rest of the world’s heroes, are to stay away from his country.

Day 2:

Here’s that temper tantrum I promised you guys. Steel’s niece, Natasha, flips out at him when he informs her that she won’t be attending some big Science conference with him because she has to attend summer school to make up for the “D” she got in English. He gives her another of his patented “You’ve gotta earn things” speeches before getting a call from STAR labs asking him to come in and identify a body. Seriously, my man John Henry’s gotta be one educated guy. How many people can say they can build robotic battle suits and cut open dead people?

Day 3:

Day 3 has us in Khandaq once again, this time, inside of Black Adam’s palace. His quiet reflection is shattered as some men decide to pay him a visit…along with a few gifts: Two million in African Gold (which Black Adam definitely doesn’t need) and the most beautiful virgin in all of Egypt (Once again something he doesn’t need, I’m sure a man of Bladam’s stature like’s his women a little experienced)

Not being a fool, Adam cuts straight through their bull and asks about the nature of their “gifts.” Apparently, their employer, Intergang, was hoping to bribe Adam into letting them transport their weapons through Khandaq since it’s apparently the bridge between Africa and the middle-east. Well, you can only imagine what his response was:

Does Terra-man's reappearance hint at a possible alliance?

Day 4:

Back in Metropolis, Booster Gold is doing battle with someone named Shockwave yet seems more worried about whether Skeets placed a wager on some sports team (who I’m assuming is a baseball team) called “The Meteors” since Skeets historical records show that they’re supposed to win their game that day. Skeets assures him that they will win and the wager he placed was quite large. Booster finishes off Shockwave just as a nearby news ticker displays that The Meteor’s won their game (with the score being exactly what Skeets predicted)

Booster then zooms off to a very important contract signing (since the guy can’t get enough of whoring himself out) to endorse the Akteon-Holt, pharmaceutical company. Now, Booster Gold probably would’ve made millions on his stock options (like Skeets has predicted) had the company’s owner not gotten himself arrested for Securities Fraud. Frankly, I bust a got laughing at this little seen and Booster’s following tantrum. He decides that Skeets needs to locate someone for him, and it’s not Dr. Magus…Booster wants Skeets to locate Rip Hunter.

For those of you that don’t know Rip Hunter is essentially one of the Guardian’s of Time. He showed up and did some stuff in Zero Hour (a lot of it wasn't useful, but what are you going to do?)

Day 5:

Steel is helping out STAR labs with the Lex Luthor autopsy, and for anyone who read Infinite Crisis it’s pretty damn obvious we’re just looking at a shaved Alexander Luthor (given his skinny build, and the fact that Luthor put contacts on him) But it’s not explained why his face I no longer scarred. So Steel removes the contacts and notes that the guy did the murder definitely inserted them post-mortem. His assistant asks who just before this happens:

The real Lex Luthor comes parading in with a news crew and some bogus story saying how all the bad things he’s done over the years were really done by his counterpart from a parallel universe while he lay in exile on that Luthor’s world before finally escaping during the crisis. Then, Luthor even has the gall to call on John to give testimony to the fact that Lex really was trapped on some other world.

Day 6:

Lois Lane and some other reporters are gathered in New York to witness the opening of Black Adam’s embassy. He goes on one of his little tirades before stating that men like Terra-man (who showed up with him) He deals with Terra-man in standard fashion before zooming off.

Don’t have a damn clue what that tube in the last panel was.

History of the DC Universe:

To be honest, nothing really happened here except that some incongruities about the Legion of Super-heroes were cleared up (sorta) and Donna’s finally going to find out about the Crisis.

End of Week 3.

I can’t say I enjoyed this issue as much as I did the last two. Aside from the bit with Booster Gold everything else was just boring.

But going back to that bit with Booster, I really think him having a meeting with Rip Hunter has a lot of story potential. Maybe we can see the Linear Men again, hell, I’ll call it right now: Booster Gold is going to either become a member of the Linear Men or he’ll take Rip Hunter’s place as Time Master. I’m telling you folks, my boy Michael’s been needing to assert himself for years and while protecting the world is all well in good I’d much rather see him protect all of time.

The lack of Question was disappointing and to best honest with you, Black Adam’s performance was a bit too. We !@#$ing get it already! Black Adam’s edgy and doesn’t have a problem killing villains! C’mon people, the guy’s becoming a bit of a one trick Pony.

Luthor’s little ploy with Alex seems smart but I can’t honestly see the nonsense working. While John wasn’t that intertwined with the true nature of the Crisis he has to know that Lex is full of crap.

In closing, it was an okay issue, but no where near as strong as the last two.

Story: 5/10 (Like I said, it was average all around)
Art: 7/10 (God this book is great looking, the details on the characters were really nice. Black Adam’s hair looked really cool in one panel)
Overall: 6/10 (Eh, DC’s lucky I think this series has potential)

Before I go folks I’d like to dedicate this column to the recently departed Alex Toth. While This man was a true great in the world of cook book illustration and even if you’ve never read a book with art by him then you’ll probably familiar with a lot of other things he contributed designs for: Super Friends, Jonny Quest and Space Ghost and Sealab 2020.

While Space Ghost and Sealab saw themselves revived and made into late night comedy series, I’ll never forget the joy of waking up to watch Super Friends and Jonny Quest-especially the latter, that show was essentially my first exposure to people who are now some of my favorite comic book characters and his Space Ghost design will always be the epitome of cool to me.

Here’s the real clincher about Toth, though, the guy actually died at his drawing table. If that doesn’t show dedication to the medium then I don’t know what does.

Alex Toth: June 25, 1928-May 27, 2006


(No, this isn't a random Question money shot, Toth drew the picture in case you were wondering)