A Confluence of Conflicts: Convergence #1

The following is my review of Convergence #1, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

As kids, we all like to keep track of our toys. We do this because when we lose them, our first instinct is to throw a fit and hope that our parents wave a magic wand to fix everything or buy us a whole new toy, whichever comes first. The many universes of the DC Universe are like a giant sandbox of toys where kids of all kinds try to keep track of those toys and pitch a fit whenever someone kicks sand on them. But instead of parents, we take to Twitter and Facebook to complain. It's not nearly as effective as whining to our parents. However, it does reveal something about the structure of the stories that DC tells.

With an event like Convergence, DC Comics is trying to make it easier to keep track of all these wonderful toys that so many have come to love. We can argue to the farthest reaches of the multi-verse, but stories like Crisis and Flashpoint have helped refreshed and/or rebooted the overall context of DC's continuity in a way that helps streamline the narrative. It doesn't always lead to quality or even a satisfying resolution. Anyone familiar with the concept of a continuity punch can attest to that. But also like some kids, there will be fans who complain no matter how the situation resolves itself.

The premise of Convergence #1 isn't the same as Flashpoint or Crisis. It isn't the same as Crisis on Infinite Earths either, but it utilizes the same tools. There's a huge threat to the multiverse. Multiple versions of DC's iconic characters will be effected. And somehow, this threat needs to be confronted in a way that won't make anyone who hasn't read any of Stephen Hawkings' books too confused. In that sense, Convergence #1 does sort of handicap itself in establishing a coherent narrative. However, that doesn't keep it from being at least semi-coherent enough.

For those who have been following the events of Earth-2, there is a sense of progression. These versions of DC's mightiest heroes act as tour guides for this multiverse-level crisis, their war with Apokolipse being the anchor that gives context to their role. For anyone who hasn't been following that conflict or anyone who isn't familiar with DC's catalog of alternate universes, much of that progression is going to be lost. However, it's not entirely necessary for the story to carry weight. Like tuning into a Simpsons rerun halfway in, it's fairly easy to surmise the nature of the conflict.

That said, it takes a while for the weight of the conflict to set in. There's a teaser in the beginning that helps offer a clue as to how badly this will go for certain universes that were already screwed to begin with. However, the details are fairly generic and more forgettable than the last three winners of American Idol. It only offers clues as to what the heroes of Earth-2 are up against and it's always worth knowing that one screw-up could lead to the destruction of an entire universe.

Even with this clue, it takes a while for the characters to catch up to the conflict. They spent a good chunk of their time arguing and whining. But unlike the Avengers movies, there's none of Robert Downy Jr.'s charm or Chris Evan's charisma to tie it all together. It's only when the mysterious planet they find themselves on starts attacking them that they start to understand that arguing and whining is about as productive as spitting yelling at a TV to affect the outcome of a football game. Even so, the act of the planet attacking them isn't as epic as it sounds.

There's no subtle message from Al Gore here or anything. At times, it looks like the characters are fighting ghosts. It's hard for the conflict to feel epic when they're basically doing the work of a superpowered mime. It eventually does get the necessary detail when Brainiac shows up. Brainiac is essentially the arbiter of the Convergence conflict. He's the one bringing these universe's together and the heroes of Earth-2 just ended up drawing the short straw in that they came from a world that was already on the business end of Darkseid's wrath. Their terrible luck still ends up being the catalyst for a much larger conflict.

Eventually, the details do become more concise and the scope of the story comes into perspective. Brainiac sees this anomaly as an egregious error in an otherwise perfect system. So like an overly-zealous IT manager, he demands that this error be purged from his system. And also like an overly-zealous IT manager, he has a method for doing just that and it doesn't involve rebooting.

Brainiac essentially becomes the hype man before a rap concert, announcing to the entire DC multiverse that all their worlds are about to take part in a universe-level version of Wrestlemania. He's not nearly as charismatic as Vince McMahon, but he still gets his point across. This is how he's going to cleanse the multiverse of one too many errors. And he's going to have each universe prove that they're worth saving. It sets up a galactic-sized cage match, complete with some creative word play that will satisfy fans of certain worlds.

Convergence #1 takes a while to become coherent and the characters involved who aren't named Brainiac don't really distinguish themselves. They're not pawns as much as they are a bunch of rats being put in a cage with only a finite amount of cheese. Those not already familiar with these versions of DC's characters probably aren't going to become cos-players at the next Comic Con. But they still play a role and they succeed in that role, triggering the conflict that kickstarts the story. Like a juicy steak without the steak sauce, it's still edible and it still has the potential to become part of an epic feast.

Final Score: 6 out of 10

Doomed Concept: Superman Doomed #1

The following is my review of Superman Doomed #1, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

The best tools have multiple uses for multiple tasks. That's how some people can be dropped on a remote desert island with nothing but a pocket knife and some duct tape and survive in ways that would put Gilligan's Island to shame. But some tools are defined by their utterly singular use. A sledge hammer only has so many functions. Nobody can ever say a sledge hammer helped them craft an ice sculpture of the Virgin Mary. However, these tools are often designed with this singular use in mind. It's fairly reasonable to conclude that the inventor of tequila didn't call it a success because it tasted good. Like any drink only meant for getting drunk, certain characters are brewed for one desired outcome. Doomsday is basically the sledge hammer/tequila of the DC Universe, which makes an event surrounding him conceptually questionable.

Doomsday as a character has only one use: to kill Superman. It has succeeded before to an extent. This was the creature that killed Superman in the now iconic Death of Superman arc, a story that might or might not have been nullified by the New 52 reboot. It has already shown up before in Superman/Wonder Woman, albeit briefly. Now an entire event is being built around Superman battling Doomsday. The main selling point is that unlike 99 percent of Superman's enemies, this one is as strong as him and fully capable of killing him. That means that those who complain that Superman is too powerful will have little to complain about in Superman Doomed #1, the first issue in a crossover story that will consume every Superman comic.

This story effectively builds on Doomsday's earlier appearances. Before, this mindless creature was like Stan Lee in the Marvel movies, popping up every now and then and not having much of an impact. Now the creature has stopped biding its time and begins making its presence known, which for Doomsday involves the kind of wholesale slaughter usually found only in Rambo movie. Superman, obviously not a Rambo fan, takes it upon himself to stop Doomsday. He gets help from everyone he can, including Lex Luthor. That alone demonstrates the power of this creature. It's dangerous enough for Superman to actually agree with Lex Luthor.

But this issue doesn't just involve Superman looking for ways to battle Doomsday. This battle unfolds in the midst of another conflict that involves everyone in Smallville falling into a coma. This is how Lois Lane and Lana Lang get involved, adding some personal stakes to what could have otherwise just been a glorified street brawl between overpowered characters. However, the link between this story and Doomsday is poorly defined. The lack of connections make it an aside of sorts. The same thing happens with Steel, who briefly gets to have a shot at Doomsday. But he might as well be a warm-up battle because little comes of it. So while there is an effort made to make this story about more than a mindless beast capable of killing Superman, those efforts lack refinement. It's like a computer with no WiFi in that its function is limited.

In the end, it still turns into a story that's mostly about Superman battling Doomsday and therein lies the flaw in the concept. This is pretty much the only way for the story to go. It's like a destination that has only one road leading to it. The story has to unfold this way. As a concept, it's inherently predictable. As a theme, it's exceedingly narrow. However, an effort is still made to ensure Superman Doomed #1 doesn't become just another Death of Superman knock-off. While most of the story does involve Superman fighting Doomsday, the end result opens the door to paving a different path that helps make it at least somewhat less predictable.

There's no question that when Superman is focused on a single task, he's more than powerful enough to see it through. This is someone who has moved planets, traveled through time, and managed to befriend Batman. So when he takes on Doomsday, he doesn't hold back. But in doing so, he finds out the hard way that he's fighting something he doesn't fully understand. This is yet another instance where Superman could learn a thing or two from Batman because by focusing on stopping Doomsday from hurting anyone else, Superman sets into motion the most menacing threat from the creature. He essentially sets the stage to become Doomsday himself. That's something Batman would've figured out, albeit at the last possible moment. But in the end, it's too late.

So even though the battle between Superman and Doomsday doesn't turn into a ripoff of Rocky IV, it's still somewhat predictable. Superman tries to defeat Doomsday, but by using only his fists, he incurs some unexpected damage. It might be an epic, visually stunning battle, but it's only the first round. And few fights that don't involve Mike Tyson or Muhammed Ali in their prime end in the first round. Future rounds promise to take on a very different form, which involves Superman fighting himself even harder than he fought Doomsday. And that's another concept that is inherently flawed on many respects because if the only way to stop Doomsday is to become him, then that just reinforces the character's primary purpose of challenging Superman.

Flawed concept or not, the execution of the story is still solid and the conflict it creates is set to expand into every Superman title. The connections to this story are still not in place, but the scale of the conflict has been effectively set. Superman Doomed #1 manages to set itself apart from a typical Superman-battles-a-killer-monster narrative. It creates a conflict that is both daunting and personal for Superman and one that will rely as heavily on his supporting cast as it will on his strength. While the concept may be akin to a very simple tool with a singular use, this doesn't make that tool any less effective.

Final Score: 6 out of 10

Idealism Becomes Compelling: "Action Comics #23"

The following is my review of Action Comics #23, which was posted on PopMatters.com.

Characters that resonate with a wide audience create the most compelling stories. And more often than not, characters resonate when the audience can relate to them. People look at characters like Batman or Peter Parker and see someone who is human and flawed yet they are able to accomplish amazing feats. However, this creates a challenge for someone like Superman, who is not human and whose feats are practically god-like in their scale and impact. No matter how much Superman resonates with an audience, nobody will ever know what it feels like to fly at the speed of light, move a planet with sheer muscle, or survive being Wonder Woman’s lover.

Yet Superman still resonates with audiences because unlike Batman and Peter Parker, he represents an ideal. He personifies all that is good, moral, and just. That ideal is more powerful than any human in the same way that Superman is more powerful than any human. And upholding that ideal can make stories about Superman seem more like a morality tale than a compelling narrative. But Action #23 manages to create a narrative that shows that upholding that ideal can still be a compelling story. It also shows that as easy as it is to relate to certain less-powerful characters, there’s not much they can do when an alien monster shows up to devour the Earth. Let’s face it, Batman doesn’t have anything in his utility belt for a threat like that.

This is the threat that Superman has to face in Action #23. It’s called Lexus and instead of a luxury car, it’s a planet-sized cross between a monster truck and a demon. And the knights of Pax Galactica have been fighting this creature for 23 years. Its origins are basic, but the details are important to the story. Lexus was forged from the disembodied heart of Queen Lourdes’s brother, who apparently had an evil in his heart strong enough to forge a terrifying body out of the disembodied planets he destroyed. Essentially, he’s evil on a level that makes it so nobody will complain about Superman having to kill him so critics of Superman: Man of Steel can rest easy.

While Lexus as a threat may be somewhat basic, it serves an important role in the scope of the story. This is a threat of pure, uncompromising evil. In the same way Superman represents the pure idealism of all that is good, a creature like Lexus represents the exact opposite. Normal humans and less than upstanding heroes can’t comprehend evil on that scale in the same way they can’t comprehend Superman’s ability to be good. At the same time, nobody except someone who is as powerful and as good as Superman has the ability to take on someone like Lexus while also dealing with Queen Lourdes’s knights of Pax Galactia. Because in the same way it’s challenging for mature adults to deal with immature children, it’s difficult for someone as good as Superman to deal with creatures this arrogant.

Before Lexus even arrives, Superman clashes with the knights of Pax Galactica. They treat him the same way the the weakest kid is treated in a game of dodgeball. But as soon as Lexus arrives, the game stops and the battle begins. And Superman, understanding that any frustration or anger he feels towards these creatures won’t help, looks past their juvenile behavior so that they can battle Lexus. In a perfect world, everyone would be able to overlook such petty misgivings. But in the real world, people hold grudges. In the real world, something as trivial as being cut off in the freeway is enough for someone to be seething with rage for a two-hour drive. But Superman doesn’t have that kind of time. He overlooks it and focuses on a more important task, namely saving the world.

And his ability to succeed where Queen Lourdes’s knights have failed says something else about Superman’s persona. Since he tries to fight with a level head that is clear of arrogance, he is able to surmise the weakness of the Lexus. The details of its origin are key in that it allows him to devise a strategy to end the creature once and for all. It’s a strategy that Queen Lourdes, her knights, and no being without god-like powers could carry out. But because Superman is Superman, he is able to to do so and destroys the Lexus by destroying its heart.

It’s not just an amazing display of power. It’s a perfect demonstration of how Superman isn’t just some overpowered demigod. He’s as powerful as he needs to be to do the right thing. Using more power might be easier, but it wouldn’t be just. He demonstrates this in another way that’s almost as dramatic as destroying a planet-sized robot demon. After seeing such a feat, Queen Lourdes and the knights of Pax Galactica swear their eternal allegiance to Superman. Now most people probably wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to have completely obedient superpowered slaves in the same way they wouldn’t tear up a winning lottery ticket. But that is exactly what Superman does. He didn’t destroy the Lexus to gain favor with Pax Galactica. He did it because it was the right thing to do.

That embodies the true core of Superman. Action #23 doesn’t really break new ground in Superman’s story or do anything too novel. It establishes a powerful threat that only Superman can stop and shows him stopping it while not cutting any corners along the way. There’s no shortcuts. There’s no cut-and-paste. Superman does things the right way and that’s all there is to it. That’s what makes Action #23 a satisfying Superman story. While less durable characters like Batman still has a place in modern mythology, there will always be room for living embodiments of an ideal like Superman.

Final Score: 8 out of 10