Countdown #36 - *Spoilers*

[Liberty Belle Fan]

Just finished reading the latest installment, and it seemed like there was a lot more action vs. talking in this issue.

The magical duel between Mary Marvel and Zatanna was interesting to say the least. Eclipso continues to pull the strings behind the scenes.

We finally get to see Karate Kid fighting again instead of hanging out with the Oracle. I enjoyed the artwork during his action sequences this week.

Not sure who the villain in the background is with our heroes in the nanoverse, but that story involved a bit of fighting as well.

I can't say I was disappointed with this issue, the vilain bio at the end was informative and entertaining as well.

[EZMOHR]

Well, I guess the Orr Oracle was talking about was the Orr from the For Tommorrow Storyline.

Pretty darn good issue of Countdown.

And hell, DC even got a Deathstroke panel in there. God knows we never see him in the DCU anymore.

[jerrymcl89]

I thought it was interesting to see Orr again. For Tomorrow is usually ignored by the DCU. I did like this issue, as the pace continues to pick up.

[MAK15]

betcha Deathstroke reqruits Trickster and Piper for whatever he's got planned.

[Jack Zodiac]

Jim's art didn't look as good as it usually does. And none of the stories grabbed me this week. In fact, seeing Mustache Man from "For Tomorrow" turned me off.

[jv2k]

The whole zatana vs mary marvel thing was terrible. Rather than being seduced by a lust for power or the dark side mary just seems like an impatient brat. There also wasn't enough trickster and piper.

[worstblogever]

Just be grateful they spared us some of the Holly Robinson/Harley at a spa with this Q & A.
Holly: "What's my special training supposed to be?"
Harley: "You'll see. What did Athena say?"
Holly: "Nothing that made sense. What have you been doing all day?"
Harley:"Walking around in a toga, wrestling with other women. You?"
Holly:"Same."
Harley: "Huh... no wonder all the Amazons play binding games, they're probably just bored and the kink passes the time.
Holly:"I was a hooker. That's just old hat."

Seriously, you can picture it in there, can't you?

Shame they didn't do anything else directly with Darkseid, Forager (he's been MIA since his one appearance), or any of the other Fourth World characters.

Definitely more happening, even if Piper/Trickster were just stalling, the fact that Deathstroke has something planned is a big deal.

While Mary Marvel still is being written to be impatient, selfish, and heady and it's been consistent through the series, and that's good. But we get the point, already. The reveal of Eclipso we already knew about back with the diamond a month ago, too. Tell us something we don't know yet. The fact that Mary's out of place behavior is the result of some evil magic is the reason behind her pathos, and it's good that we're finally getting an idea of what Eclipso wants her for. But... I'm pretty sure it means Eclipso's doomed to fail. See, she wants Mary to gather items of power, and become some magical bad*ss that serves her, or to usurp all that power for herself. Who's to say that Mary won't take kindly to being manipulated and use all that stuff to put the whammy back on Eclipso, even if her soul's all corrupted? Just wait for that to happen then... because it would seem the logical course of the plot.

The Nanoverse crew is jumped by the one billionth villain who gets foreshadowed in this series. Paul Dini really is abusing that literary device. Nobody recognizes that gauntlet? Bugger if I know who it's supposed to be.

Other than one page of Jimmy looking like a dumb*ss at the Watchtower, it seemed like this thing might be going somewhere. There was action, there were certain plots developing, and certain stories were left to simmer, rather than waste pages to show us a big heap of nothing... improved issue? Yes. Greatly improved? I wouldn't go that far. Then again, I'm jaded. :evilsmile

[van_line]

noone mentioned the final supper/JLA panel?

I am guessing that is in direct response to the wild ass rumor that batman is suppose to die in final crisis.

If someone is more anal retentive then me, will count up how many times someone says "jason todd" so far in this series, they will be my internet hero. Reminds me of another one of my weird comic book pet peeves, when claremont would have a character address another character as "lover". Who says that stuff in the real world??

[worstblogever]

I wouldn't read too much into the Da Vinci's last supper poses of Batman and the JLA on that page. It's more about the past, than the future. I mean, Hal Jordan is in Judas Ascariot's seat. Parralax and back... I don't think Hal's going down that road again, or the H.E.A.T. will be back on.

Furthermore, there were 12 Apostles and Jesus. That shot only has Batman and nine JLA members. Eleven, if you count Superman and Jimmy, who aren't in the shot.

I think that in the second Countdown preview poster, where it was the villains, Dan Didio thought he put in some unsolvable mystery. Then somebody noticed that while they're spread out on the poster a bit more, the villains were posed in groups of three like the Apostles were in the portrait. People pegged Martian Manhunter as Judas, Lex Luthor as Jesus, etc.

With how Didio likes leaking hints (like Rip Hunter's Chalkboard of Wisdom) I think he got bummed because something big was figured out fast. Kind of like how some cryptologist solved the 52 Cypher around Week 32. Countdown #36 might just be Didio trying to throw people back off.

[Big Red Spider]

Califore's art looks horrible. I've heard people say he's really good at expressions but I can't stand it long enough to even notice. I didn't like him on Marvel's Exiles and I still don't like him.

Sorry just had to vent. I couldn't do any better.

[Paul Dee]

The art's always been a sbit sloppy on Countdown. There was one artist (perhaps a few) who really couldn't draw Jason 'My Full Name Is Jason Todd' Todd at all - they made him look like a pig and the domino mask was always changing size. The last page of this issue was great though; I was convinced it was by someone else.