Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Countdown

I've been of two minds about Countdown, but I must say that I practically cried in this issue (# 29) when the Jokester hears that the bad Monitor killed Duela, and he says, "You killed my daughter. That's not funny."

The Jokester has been a great limited-use character. The Search for Ray Palmer is the only one of the related mini-series that I'm definitely buying, and the Jokester issue (mislabeled "Crime Society") was well worth it.

I've got to say that I'm about as dissapointed with Countdown as I've been with anything in the last few years from DC or Marvel. Mainly because my expectations were high. Honestly, it can't hold a candle to 52 IMO.

But there is some glimmer of hope that I have telling me it could end up having a good ending (ending meaning leading to the Final Crisis). So I'll hold off the worst verbal abuse until the end (for now)

All I can say about this week's issue-

BARDA? What and why off panel?

Well, the title itself is a spoiler...

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #1 has the rest of the Barda 'story'.</span></span>

wait, what happened to Barda?

I've gave up on Countdown ages ago. I flip through it in the store (but obviously missed something in the flipping). It hasn't been executed well, IMO, and of course I'm extremely, extremely upset with what they did to Mary Marvel. I just hope at the end of Final Crisis somebody punches Countdown (or at least Evil Mary) out of history.

But seriously, is Barda you-know-what (and I don't mean pregnant)?

Steph,

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text"> Barda is dead. There is just a line about it by Forager to Jmmy Olsen in Countdown. Easy to miss if you are just flipping through. According to Mystery Lad, the story is in "Death of the New Gods" #1</span></span>

I really wish DC'd take a couple of issues to fully focus on one of the ongoing storylines and seriously advance it- or even better, wrap it up. Don't care which one.

At least a couple of the other storylines need to converge, in some fashion. The various storylines have been too disjoined for too long.

That said, I'm still really liking the Trickster/Piper sequences. Maybe I'm alone in this.

The Karate Kid/Una stuff is somewhat perplexing, but enjoyable, I think.

Mary Marvel's plot is baffling. I hope it's resolution pulls something out of the fire and makes it worthwhile.

Donna Troy and co.-- this group just doesn't have 'chemistry'. Donna must be one of DC's hardest characters to write (I don't get why), because she just hasn't 'sung' in quite some time. Here's hoping the new TITANS EAST book can rectify that.

I'm pretty disappointed in the worlds the Challengers have visited. How many version of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman do we need to see? Why, oh why, don't they make use of DC's vast history and unexplored possibilites? Or make use of imaginative *new* ones?

OK- the Lord Havok world is at least non-Supes, Bat, Wondy based. Unfortunately, these characters didn't do much for me when they first appeared (though if they prompt a Blue Jay appearance, I'll be more than happy for their exposure).

Jimmy Olsen joining forces with the Newsboy Legion had promise-- oops, now it's over. Jimmy propelled into the New Gods storyline makes sense, historically- though it isn't an easy match from a reader's perspective.

That's the only reason I keep reading. Though I'm seriously considering dropping. And that's saying something-- Piper is one of my favorite DC characters! I absolutely loved him as a Flash supporting character and.. yeah. Love him. And his hood! I don't know why but his costume rules.

The series is unreadable. It jumps around so much, threads get spun off into a tie-in book or mini and then we get two pages a couple issues later with no explanation of what happened for those of us who don't want to buy every book in the Previews catalogue.

The reason 52 worked was that it was a totally self contained narrative. Note the weakest thing about 52 was the World War tie in near the end. And that is the entire basis for the narrative of Countdown. I'm sure the individual miniseries may be readable as trades but until then I am avoiding this mess.

While I don't find it unreadable, I *do* agree that COUNTDOWN has quickly devolved into mainly a luanch-pad for 1-shots and minis.

At least 52 (with the sole exception of the 4 WW3 1-shots) kept everything self-contained.

52 waited to unleash the slew of series and minis AFTER the fact. (plug time: hey, kids! Check out BOOSTER GOLD and INFINITY, INC... fun!!)

I'm outraged about Barda's death, but I refuse to buy the mini. Most NG series in the past have disappointed me and I've washed my hands of the NG, but Barda and her husband will always be favorites.

I did buy the Crime Society 1-shot (loved the unexpected Duela appearance!) and enjoyed it, but I refuse to fall into the trap of these other books like Death o/t NG, Lord Havok & the Extremists, and the upcoming Monarch thing.

Maybe if they solicit anther interesting 1-shot I'll check it out but for now thy are lucky to have me on COUNTDOWN.

I won't be upset if they take a break from the weekly format after this.

Agreed.

DC should be ashamed at themselves for this debacle.

I think the idea was good, it was poorly executed. Countdown would be a great place to showcase characters that aren't currently being used. Based on the excitement each character draws, minis and ongoing spinning out could be a good thing.

I like Frank Tieri's work, so I'm excited about the Extremists mini. That and Salvation Run are probably the only two spin offs I will get, but Lash bought the Challengers one-shots. Maybe someone else will buy the Arena mini.

Using the writers group format has potential, just tying the pacing into DC's universe was the mistake. Tying all their current titles in with each other is tough enough, having a title be subject to all of them can only be tougher.

Stick with the 52 model- contained story, with references to other books as guest appearances allow.

A recap?!?!?!?

I get a recap issue after sticking with this series for 26 weeks?

This issue is devoted to the Monitors, and the Big Bad spends the issue monolouging. He encites the group, asking for a vote to go to war with Monarch. Didn't they due that back in June?

We do get tidbits of story for the other plotlines- mostly on the tv screens the Monitors are watching as they vote. The big shock from last week is exactly what we all thought it was.

And according to the Montiors, some great evil is manipulating all the heroes in our story. It's suggested that Darkseid is responsible.

What a waste...

Complete crap...

agreed. this issue may have been my jumping off point.

Ditto.

They never should've attempted this without Steve W. manning the helm...

I can almost hear Dini now: "I think that snail over there just lapped us..."

Talk about dragging this all out!!! A freaking recap issue for $2.99?? Then I started to think that this whole misadventure is really a vortex to try and suck in all our money. Think about it. "Final Crisis" itself is only what, 7 issues? Do we really need a 52 week "prequel" to this epic story? At 3 bucks a pop, I'm forking over over $150 before we even get to Final Crisis!! And that's without any of the one-shots (i.e. reprint 80 page specials..."REPRINTS" people!!) and mini series (holy ripoff Batman)??? I don't think I've ever seen such blatant attempt at corporate greed in the comic book industry. Well, I guess it could be worse... at least we don't have 8 cover variants with each issue of Countdown!!! Special "Barf Bag" edition, available only when you buy the whole set!

I'm buying Countdown for KK and Una for now, but I'm avoiding the other so called "tie-ins" like the plague.

If it was not for the Karate Kid/Una x-over, unbearable as its been, I would have dropped this title about 10 issues ago.

Count me in as someone avoiding all tie-ins (not even giving them a .01% chance anymore) and reading spoilers online in stead.

The re-cap issue wouldn't have been too bad--if they gave us something more than what we've known now since like the second week. No one story has progressed. What's the point of re-capping it.

And so Darkseid is the major villain? Didn't we already know that in like issue #1? What kind of revelation is that? I fully expect there has to be more to the story--but do I really want to stick around to find out?

I've been one of Countdown's biggest critics for weeks now. This issue actually felt like it was getting a little better...but the fact that nothing has happened now for half the series is just too big to ignore.

Honestly, what were they thinking with this? How could something so awfully put together have been launched on the public? Countdown makes Image Comics of 1994 look attractive.

Regarding the Monitors? Are there 52 of them? Cause I have counted about 600 different Monitors since Countdown has started.

And I agree about the pricing and the series overall. It has my attention but just barely.

Also, I forgot to complain about the female Kryptonian looking Monitor before. When I first saw her in the issue, I swear to you my first thought was "Since when is Lilandra part of the DC Universe? She must've been the Monitor for Earth 616."

Countdown to Sanity:

I dropped Countdown from my pull list today. It is the first time I have ever deliberately chosen to stop buying a title that features Legionnaires.

I feel a little bit disloyal, kinda the way I felt yesterday when I voted for one Republican.

Congratulations. The Madness recedes a little

I've dropped it too, the main book and all tie-ins. I scanned through my last issues last night (I think through #27). As everyone has said, the book is unreadable and unforgivably boring. Alot of this is the apparent format of telling only 1-2 pages of story per plot thread per issue. But if anyone could make 1-2 pages worth reading, it's Dini. So the problem is bigger. The desire to tie it into the DCU (as 52 by design did not) has contributed. But fundamentally I just don't think there is enough story to tell.

With 52, you had arguably the best 4 writers in comics today working collaboratively on telling fairly compelling, dramatic stories about characters they REALLY cared about. And even then, it was touch and go on a week to week basis whether that particular week's issue was worth reading (beyond the amazing covers, that is).

With Countdown, we have one really good head writer and a bunch of pretty good collaborators having to slavishly follow a worthless DC playbook with a buch of characters that the creative teams don't seem to care very much about. Even the Piper/Trickster thread, which should have been FREAKIN' AWESOME, is tiresome, with lame gay jokes as the only "high" points (contrast with the relative tastefulness of the Montoya/Batwoman story in 52).

The "Challengers" thread should be fascinating and compelling too, as the characters confront all the myriad ways history might have gone for them, but didn't. But the characters couldn't seem more bored with their own story, so why should the reader's response be any different?