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80th out of 103 books
—
33 voters
52, Vol. 4 (52 #4; issues 40-52)
The story of the DC Universe's most eventful year concludes in this final action-packed volume in the series featuring an epic WORLD WAR III between the planet's super-powered beings. Discover the final fates of the stars of the series — Booster Gold, Renee Montoya, Black Adam, The Elongated Man, Animal Man, Lobo, Starfire and Adam Strange — from 52 #40-52!
Paperback, 328 pages
Published
November 7th 2007
by DC Comics
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THE SERIES
This tale follows a “missing year” in the DC Universe after the groundbreaking “Infinite Crisis” story (see my review for that one) which was one of the bestselling graphic novels for the 2006 year. Note that "Final Crisis" follows after this and was published in 2009.
52 asks the questions who takes the role of the most popular superheroes (Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman) when they step down from their roles? There are a list of vying superheroes trying to make a name for themselves...more
This tale follows a “missing year” in the DC Universe after the groundbreaking “Infinite Crisis” story (see my review for that one) which was one of the bestselling graphic novels for the 2006 year. Note that "Final Crisis" follows after this and was published in 2009.
52 asks the questions who takes the role of the most popular superheroes (Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman) when they step down from their roles? There are a list of vying superheroes trying to make a name for themselves...more
Satisfying conclusion to the series. I felt greatly educated, by the end of it, of all the (relatively) minor DC Universe characters that I hadn't yet encountered, given that my exposure to the mainstream titles had been through Wonder Woman and Gotham-based books (oddly, I never read a lot of Batman titles. I did read a lot of Catwoman and Gotham PD books.)
Story-wise, the reveal with Sobek was a moment of "Holy shit, I can't believe they did that in a mainstream title!" Ditto for the bit with I...more
Story-wise, the reveal with Sobek was a moment of "Holy shit, I can't believe they did that in a mainstream title!" Ditto for the bit with I...more
Oct 21, 2011
Amber Ditullio
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of Superhero Comics, Those who like to read epic comic stories
Recommended to Amber by:
Highpockets on SparkPeople
Shelves:
graphic-novel
(This review is for 52, Vol 1-4. I couldn't separate them out in my mind.
52 is the story of what happens between the end of Infinite Crisis (after which Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman disappeared for a year) and Year One, where there was a bit of a reboot/change in the status quo. The story revolves around... well, almost all of the characters you've ever cared to hear about in the DC Universe. There are many storylines that weave themselves together into a wonderful whole - Booster Gold and...more
52 is the story of what happens between the end of Infinite Crisis (after which Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman disappeared for a year) and Year One, where there was a bit of a reboot/change in the status quo. The story revolves around... well, almost all of the characters you've ever cared to hear about in the DC Universe. There are many storylines that weave themselves together into a wonderful whole - Booster Gold and...more
The best part, as in the other three volumes, is Renee's story. I especially liked her team-up with Dick. They should work together more often, especially with Kate.
I did like the John Henry Irons/Everyman storyline. Way to make things interesting, Lex.
I felt bad that Kory was stuck in such an uninteresting plotline, and I disliked the island of mad scientists, but the thing that kept me from truly loving this book was Black Adam's story. Ugh. I really wanted his redemption to stick and I reall...more
I did like the John Henry Irons/Everyman storyline. Way to make things interesting, Lex.
I felt bad that Kory was stuck in such an uninteresting plotline, and I disliked the island of mad scientists, but the thing that kept me from truly loving this book was Black Adam's story. Ugh. I really wanted his redemption to stick and I reall...more
half gold, half crap. Which half is which really depends on your POV.
The Island of mad scientists was brilliant, loved the new Chinese super heroes, the redemption of Booster Gold had it's moments and against my better judgement I liked the Renee/Lesbian Batwoman story.
The Elongagated man arc was asinine. I know 'Identity Crisis was horrible and wrote Ralph Digby into a corner, but this was the best they could come up with to fix it?
What genius thought it'd be really cool to create a grim and g...more
The Island of mad scientists was brilliant, loved the new Chinese super heroes, the redemption of Booster Gold had it's moments and against my better judgement I liked the Renee/Lesbian Batwoman story.
The Elongagated man arc was asinine. I know 'Identity Crisis was horrible and wrote Ralph Digby into a corner, but this was the best they could come up with to fix it?
What genius thought it'd be really cool to create a grim and g...more
I would rate this volume 3.5 rather than 4 stars, mostly because many issues are taken up with big plot summation dialogue. I understand why, given the number of threads that had to be tied up and the limited amount of space they had to do it, but it still was a bit repetitious to have so many expository scenes so close together.
That aside, it was still a fun ride and well worth my time and money. As a Bat-fan it was nice to see the early adventures of Batwoman (even if some of the back story he...more
That aside, it was still a fun ride and well worth my time and money. As a Bat-fan it was nice to see the early adventures of Batwoman (even if some of the back story he...more
A year long weekly comic is an amazing undertaking. The fact that Johns, Rucka, Waid, Grant, Giffen, many pencillers and editors were able to complete this is an unbelievably huge achievement. There is no way around that. The problems lie with the inconsistencies that you would expect wit all the different people involved. Characters looked wildly different from issue to issue which was jarring and at times confusing. The story once again had high extremes and lows. Batwoman, Question, Black Ada...more
This is it, the final climactic conclusion to the 52 event. They've been building up to this with the previous 39 issues, and they don't let you down with the ending.
The best part for me is the WWIII climax, in which Black Adam goes on a total rampage after his second family is killed. When she died, I got goosebumps. I still do when I think about it. His rampage is not unjustified, and he becomes the force of rage, pain, and loss personified. Nothing is better than a tragic villain.
The Mister...more
The best part for me is the WWIII climax, in which Black Adam goes on a total rampage after his second family is killed. When she died, I got goosebumps. I still do when I think about it. His rampage is not unjustified, and he becomes the force of rage, pain, and loss personified. Nothing is better than a tragic villain.
The Mister...more
Oh, how I loved this series. I am a little sad to finally read the last one. The artwork was phenomenal, the story was gripping, and the layouts and plotlines were seamless - even for one easily confused as I. What a dream team of writers.
I'm late to the party, because this came out on 2007, but I am happy to see the DC 'multiverse' back. Mark Waid writes in the comments that the line 'welcome home' is his favorite in the series. He says, "'Home,' both to us as writers and to our characters, is...more
I'm late to the party, because this came out on 2007, but I am happy to see the DC 'multiverse' back. Mark Waid writes in the comments that the line 'welcome home' is his favorite in the series. He says, "'Home,' both to us as writers and to our characters, is...more
The 52 project was so huge that I didn't feel like I could give a decent review after any given volume. How to review what is, really, just a small part of a much bigger story? Now that I've finished all 52 issues, I can give a sort of post-mortem.
There are so many storylines, and so much to wrap up, that the last 13 issues had huge events nearly every other issue. It certainly kept me reading. This was the only one of the 52 trades that I read all in one sitting. For the most part, I was prett...more
There are so many storylines, and so much to wrap up, that the last 13 issues had huge events nearly every other issue. It certainly kept me reading. This was the only one of the 52 trades that I read all in one sitting. For the most part, I was prett...more
2 likes · like · see review
The only downside of re-reading this series is that it reminded me the ending is relatively weak. I'm not sure I really like how any of the non-Question plotlines wrap up (and even that I had some issues with this time around), and overall there's a bit of a "oh dammit, we ran out of space!" feeling to a lot of the resolution. Still very very good comic-booking, just maybe not everything it could have been. Nonetheless, it's amazing the whole thing is this good considering it was written one wee...more
Summary: too bad about the never-say-die multiverse addiction at DC.
Dibny's story? Awesome. Week 43 Day 1? Like a five-year-old wrote it.
Black Adam's finale was not written by that five-year-old, and works much better.
And the build-up to the final climax? Cool. I felt like I participated in something actually pretty wondrous.
Too bad about bringing back the multiverse tho. Seems like DC is just addicted to its easy outs - the many, many variations on the same themes that make it so easy to expla...more
Dibny's story? Awesome. Week 43 Day 1? Like a five-year-old wrote it.
Black Adam's finale was not written by that five-year-old, and works much better.
And the build-up to the final climax? Cool. I felt like I participated in something actually pretty wondrous.
Too bad about bringing back the multiverse tho. Seems like DC is just addicted to its easy outs - the many, many variations on the same themes that make it so easy to expla...more
Five stars for this volume, five stars for the series as a whole.
I think this series has more character development than any series I've ever read. Kate Kane, Ralph Dibny, Natasha Irons, John Henry Irons, and especially Booster Gold and Renee Montoya. It's all great and really well-written.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves superhero comics. And what would you expect when you're reading something by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid? And Keith Giffen's breakd...more
I think this series has more character development than any series I've ever read. Kate Kane, Ralph Dibny, Natasha Irons, John Henry Irons, and especially Booster Gold and Renee Montoya. It's all great and really well-written.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves superhero comics. And what would you expect when you're reading something by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid? And Keith Giffen's breakd...more
The final volume of 52 is a nonstop thrill ride, where each of our main character's plot lines wrap up with time to spare. We have Steel's triumph over Lex Luthor that happens fairly early on, Ralph Dibny's fate (with a touching epilogue in the series final pages that brings the Elongated Man's purpose home full throttle), Renee Montoya's soul searching that leads her to the answer to Vic Sage's question and World War III, which centers around Black Adam and the mad scientists of Oolong Island....more
I wasn't sure about this series as it intentionally focused on more supporting characters in the DC Universe (no Batman or Superman)in the year following the events of Infinite Crisis. However, the characters they selected proved complex and their storylines compelling. Unfortunately, like almost all of these special events, nothing ultimately happens or at least nothing really changes that can't be unchanged to suit writers' needs/lack of imagination.
Overall, I think the main story I actually enjoyed was Renee Montoya becoming the Question. I enjoyed her in Gotham Central, and it's interesting to see the character's next step. The Ralph Dibny story was also good, and the mad scientists getting revenge for all the bullying they've suffered was fun. Other than that, there wasn't much here that interested me, with the space heroes probably being the worst, since it felt entirely pointless.
This was a great series. There were several concurrent storylines, and numerous lesser-known characters, but they all got the attention they deserved, and there was enough information that even people new to comics would be able to follow most of it. (And for the very few "who/what the hell is ______" moments, there's always Wikipedia.)
The great thing about 52 is that it helped me to see what's so great about many of the under-utilized characters in DC's pantheon. Here are some characters I knew...more
The great thing about 52 is that it helped me to see what's so great about many of the under-utilized characters in DC's pantheon. Here are some characters I knew...more
The whole run of this story is pretty great, so it's unfortunate that the end (particularly the Booster Gold stuff) is unsatisfying. Formally, it's a fairly remarkable story, and the writers' ability to integrate their various approaches and to use many seemingly small details is worth a look.
I also didn't think the WWIII stuff was so great, particularly removed from that miniseries (which wasn't so great in itself).
I also didn't think the WWIII stuff was so great, particularly removed from that miniseries (which wasn't so great in itself).
It ends well. Very little leftist politics to spoil the final chapters. All the characters were well used. This weekly comic is amazing. Take out the ridiculous leftist slop shoe-horned into the story, and this is 5/5 stars. As a whole, this series is the best DC epic ever, even better than CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS. Why is it better than CRISIS? CRISIS only real failing was that it felt superficial, like there was too much story and too many characters for the time the storytellers had to tell....more
the only story lines I really liked were The Question's and the Elongated Man.
Black Adam I could have cared less about, soon as he met that girl and fell in love and got married I knew his story was doomed.
Booster Gold's I went in and out from liking.
Over all, an alright series. (I'm wondering if Batman is alright and who will pick up after him.)
Black Adam I could have cared less about, soon as he met that girl and fell in love and got married I knew his story was doomed.
Booster Gold's I went in and out from liking.
Over all, an alright series. (I'm wondering if Batman is alright and who will pick up after him.)
Of course Black Adam ends up being the bad guy again. Pretty predictable and underwhelming. The writers could have gone in so many directions but they went with probably was the easiest. I could go on a tangent about how brown folks are always caricatured as being irredeemable and ultra-violent but I want to believe that the writers were better than that. hrmm...
Kind of a confusing ending but this is one of the best comic series I've ever read simply because it retains the whole comic book mentality while tackling some interesting relationships in the DC Universe that have never before been tapped into. It's hard to describe its charm, but there is no doubt that it has a particular charm I've seen nowhere else.
The whole series was a good story arc. It was kind of confusing at moments, but I've immersed myself in the DC universe enough to follow what was going on. Outside of that, it was quite enjoyable.
This is why happens when too many ideas get put into a series and no one knows how to tie them all together. You would think with 52 issues, the conclusion would not seem so rushed.
Overall the series was enjoyable. I picked this up under recommendation of a friend as it focuses on the VERY minor characters of the DC-verse. Two of which being my favorite: Elongated Man and Booster Gold. Four volumes of 13-issues later I realized I only enjoyed their stories. I found the other stories boring and dull because I couldn't care about the other characters and what was going on with them. I suppose the Titans being in for a bit was cool, but The Marvel's and Black Adam, The Questi...more
This series got consistently better as it went along. A great ending...wait...there's an 'Aftermath'. Oh, yes, on to that NOW!
The ending is pretty obvious, and the narrative falls apart a bit, but this is still an effective conclusion to this series.
I really enjoyed the entire series. One of the most gripping I've read in a while!
Seems that I should have read Identity Crisis first. I enjoyed the series.
a satisfying ending for this short series. Really enjoyed this!
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Geoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990’s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career...more
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Oct 30, 2012 10:56pm
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updated Oct 31, 2012 12:04am
Oct 31, 2012 07:55pm