Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38057 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-21
• Released on: 2007-11-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781401214869
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Excellent for fans of DC* Univese.
This series really dosn't leave fans of the Dcu dispointed.
Besides the fact that that 52 has brought back charcters that had for intents and purposes past their prime ie. Booster Gold, Rip Hunter, Adam Strange etc. These are charcters who had seen their prime back in th 80's 60's and 90's. It also has made the Dcu have a little bit more darkness, something the company has always lacked (as far as their on going series). By making the villians think more like real criminals (all about getting what they want and damning anyone who gets in their way) they bring a much needed sense of urgentcy. The heroe is no longer garenteed that they will win and if they do they it's often at a great personel loss.
This all being said; unless you'r a big fan of Dc (I've been reading comics sinsce I was 5) new comers may find the graphic nature of this series to much most definitely not for children (recomend Dc's youth series that they have recently launched) and for people who have no understanding of Dc history. I would recomend getting 52 Compainion, it does a excellent job of giving you a establishing back round of all the main charcters.
But if you no your Dc charcters and have love a realy indepth story of super heroes and villians then this is the series for you.

The Grand Finale
In earlier reviews I said that 52 would have to finish big to make the whole series worth it and book four just barely manages to do it. The first story to finish was the Luthor/Everyman thread and the conclusion was just as boring as the rest of the storyline. The ending of the Ralph Dibney saga was considerably better and I didn't see the plot swerve coming at all. Kudos to Ralph.

My favorite moment in the book came during the Black Adam storyline, not that I particularly enjoyed much of the rest of it. After the Four Horsemen of Oolong Island are unleashed, their first target is Adam's family in Kahndaq. At the risk of revealing one of the major plot twists it turns out that one of the Four Horsemen (hunger) has already been palling around with Black Adam's family for awhile now. Tragedy ensues and Black Adam goes on a rampage killing millions of people before discovering that it was the scientists of Oolong Island who caused his anguish. This is where it gets awesome. Black Adam attacks an island filled with DC's greatest mad scientists and in the ultimate brains vs brawn battle brawn is completely dominated. In fact T. O. Morrow brings down Black Adam while at the same time bidding on an item on Ebay. I've always felt that there are supervillains and there are SUPERvillains. Morrow is one of the later, one of those capable of taking on the entire JLA single handedly. Having the `Science Society' take down the nearly unstoppable Black Adam was awesome. Later, Adam is freed and goes on to inflict more carnage in `World War III' but for the record it's mad scientists 1, Black Adam 0.

**** SPOILER ALERT ****
Of course the showcase of the 52 series was the Booster Gold storyline and this is where 52 finishes big. Booster Gold started the series and it's only appropriate that he ends the series with a finale that will resonate throughout the DCU. The big reveal is the villain behind evil Skeetz. I actually think the best moment in the Booster Gold storyline was in book three when Booster Gold was revealed to be Supernova but this one was pretty good too.
**** SPOILER ALERT ****

I would like to, once again, thank 52 for adding the endnotes to each issue. Although they sometimes can get rather self indulgent, occasionally they can be quite honest for instance when Greg Rucka wrote, `I hated hated hated the single tear track on the last page [of issue 44]'. On another note, why does DC comics have such an obsession with creating a female version of all male characters. We now have added a female Question, Batwoman and apparently Deathstroke.

I happen to fall among those people who think that Infinite Crisis was fantastic and 52 doesn't have nearly the emotional impact but all in all I'd give it good marks despite some weak patches particularly in the middle two books.

52
The writing team that worked on 52 has managed to put together an incredible story that will truly be remembered within the DC Universe for many years and were able to reestablish a lot of b and c type characters and make them fun again... great story, action, comedy, mystery and art... this is a must have for any fan of the DC Universe.