52 Folds
Usually when a comic leaves you wanting more, its a good thing - but not in the case of 52, and its final issue.
The final issue is admittedly pretty kick-ass, tying in directly to Infinite Crisis as it charts Booster Gold, Rip Hunter, and Booster’s 21st Century descendant Daniel Carter bouncing across the multiverse while being chased by the monsterous Mr. Mind, with
the heroes guided only by the head of the Red Tornado. Its confusing as hell, but somehow, incredibly fun to watch.
Though every page of the adventure is worth it, 52 #52 just needed to be longer than your typical 22 pages. There’s just isn’t a satisfying ending for every storyline in 52, and in some cases, only a brief mention. There is an noteworthy shot of ghosts Ralph and Sue Dibney preparing to solve an otherworldy mystery, leaving open the possibility of a mini-series with the fan-favorites, just as there’s an explanation for Batwoman’s absence in the current DCU stories.
But here’s what hurts the most: last issue Animal Man, presumed dead, returned to his loved ones on Earth. Unaware that Animal Man was alive, his comrade the scantily-clad Starfire traveled halfway across the galaxy to present Ellen, Animal Man’s wife, with his jacket. She does so, and promptly passes out from exhaustion without explanation. The baffled Ellen wonders if one of the neighbors hired a prostitute.
It’s as if the writers completely forgot to FINISH THE SCENE. I don’t know if it ties into Countdown, but I can’t see how it does, because there’s probably at least a month or two comic-time gap between the two maxi-series.
Overall, I’m hesitant to call 52 a success. I’m a bit worried for all the praise I saw the series recieve. Of the fifty-two issues, only half were memorable. That’s not good odds, and I really hope Paul Dini and his writing team can improve the ratio in the upcoming Countdown.
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