Infinite/Final Crisis: Where does Seven Solidiers fit in?

[VeganWithaYoYo]

Hi all! I'm new to the forum, but I've been reading for a while now. I'm trying to come up with a decent, semi-definitive reading order for the huge number of Crises that DC has had in a row... starting with backstory, then running through Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis, and Final Crisis. Yep, I know as well as everyone else here how bad some of the involved stories are, but let's just call me a bit obsessed with this and assume I'm not going to come to my senses and decide not to include Countdown or Amazons Attack ;-)

My problem right now is this: Seven Soldiers of Victory is necessary, or at least helpful, reading for Final Crisis, but I can't figure out quite where it goes in continuity. I've heard "Just before Infinite Crisis", "During the missing year", and "Kindasorta during Infinite Crisis". I'm told that the Seven Soldiers show up in an issue of IC, but haven't been told which one, and I'm not sure if this means the appearance is during or after the SSoV series.

Anyone want to help a fellow Crisis fan out? Also, if it could be done with minimal SSoV spoilers (I haven't read it yet!), that'd be appreciated :)

Thanks!

[4thHorseman]

I haven't read the entire series, so I'm not sure if it all fits in. But during the Mr. Miracle story, it shows the villain/hero battle in IC7, so it's probably roughly in the same timeframe.

[LordEd1976]

The 7 Soldiers appear in two issues of Infinite Crisis. Mr Miracle and Frankenstein appear in #5 and Manhattan Guardian, Shining Knight, and Klarion are aming those taking part in the battle of Metropolis. Manhattan Guardian appears in the Secret Six one-shot.

I never read it but I heard the Zatanna mini makes vague references to the status of magic post-IC

[Mat001]

Here's how it works. The Fourth World as we've known it ends in "Death Of New Gods"/"Countdown To Final Crisis". The burning figure seen in DC Universe #0 is Darkseid falling through the past back to Earth, sometime prior to "Infinite Crisis". "Seven Soldiers" takes place one week before "Infinite Crisis".

[VeganWithaYoYo]

Okay, a couple more:

1. Did all of the characters from Seven Soldiers exist before their respective miniseries and/or 7S #0? In the same vein, did their appearances change any? In other words, are we sure that when they show up in IC it's not just them appearing before Seven Soldiers?

2. For anyone who's read any or all of the minis, are they all short-term stories that seem to take place over the course of a day, or are they more spread out? If I were to put all of Seven Soldiers in the middle of IC in the reading order, would it seem like days or weeks were passing during one story while only minutes were passing in IC?

3. If any of the Seven Soldiers don't make it through the SSoV series, do they show up in IC? If anyone pulls a face-heel turn, do they show up in IC? As a hero or a villain?

Thanks for the help so far!

[Paul McEnery]

Okay, a couple more:

1. Did all of the characters from Seven Soldiers exist before their respective miniseries and/or 7S #0? In the same vein, did their appearances change any? In other words, are we sure that when they show up in IC it's not just them appearing before Seven Soldiers?

2. For anyone who's read any or all of the minis, are they all short-term stories that seem to take place over the course of a day, or are they more spread out? If I were to put all of Seven Soldiers in the middle of IC in the reading order, would it seem like days or weeks were passing during one story while only minutes were passing in IC?

3. If any of the Seven Soldiers don't make it through the SSoV series, do they show up in IC? If anyone pulls a face-heel turn, do they show up in IC? As a hero or a villain?

Thanks for the help so far!

SS happens during the Crisis, kinda sorta.

Best to choose not be a fanboy about it, toss continuity out the window, and just enjoy the story for what it is. The only thing that matters is that all the other heroes aren't available at the time, and that this story is continued in FC.

BTW, all the characters are retools:

the Zatanna reboot just depends upon rescuing her from the character-abuse in the magic rape-away book.
Klarion is given a completely new background (although it's mostly consistent);
Frankenstein -- well, did anyone ever pay attention to the original Spawn of Frankenstein comic? So I don't know; but he gets given a completely new SHIELD knock-off to play with;
Bulleteer is completely fresh;
Shining Knight is all new, and from an earlier Camelot than the Shining Knight we knew before;
Manhattan Guardian is all-new, though consistent with previous usage (the brand-name of the character is bought out);
there's an all new Newsboy Legion which is nothing to do with the previous one all throughout the books;
and there's a mystery involved with Mister Miracle, which starts Shilo Norman from the old MM comic, but we don't know how come it's now him in the suit as a David Blaine-alike.

[carabas]

Okay, a couple more:

1. Did all of the characters from Seven Soldiers exist before their respective miniseries and/or 7S #0? In the same vein, did their appearances change any? In other words, are we sure that when they show up in IC it's not just them appearing before Seven Soldiers?Lessee...

The Guardian: brandnew legacy of an ancient Kirny character
Klarion: complete reimagination of an ancient Kirby version, probably means the old version isn't in continuity anymore.

Zatanna: no changes.

Frankenstein: brandnew version of Mary Shelley'screation

Mister Miracle: Shiloh Norman, Scott Free's one time apprentice (although there is something wonky and so far unexplained going on here since he doesn't recall knowing Scott Free (or any of the New Gods).

The Bulleteer: new legacy of an old hero.

Shining Knight: Brandnew creation, no connection to the old Shining Knight whatsoever.

2. For anyone who's read any or all of the minis, are they all short-term stories that seem to take place over the course of a day, or are they more spread out? If I were to put all of Seven Soldiers in the middle of IC in the reading order, would it seem like days or weeks were passing during one story while only minutes were passing in IC?More spread out. I have no idea why someone would want to put a self-contained 42-issue maxi-series in the middle of Infnite Crisis to beghin with.

3. If any of the Seven Soldiers don't make it through the SSoV series, do they show up in IC? If anyone pulls a face-heel turn, do they show up in IC? As a hero or a villain?Now that would be spoiling...
None of them really show up in IC anyway. Not in any meaningful way. They're just the one-panel cameos where they'd be one of dozens of various costumed people beating the crap out of one another. They don't even get speaking parts.

[VeganWithaYoYo]

Okay, last question, as nebulously as possible:

Does anything that happens in IC seem to happen before the end of SSoV? Dead characters showing up, for example, or traitors showing up as heroes? I don't need any details... I just want to know if putting SSoV entirely before Infinite Crisis would work :)

[Paul McEnery]

Okay, last question, as nebulously as possible:

Does anything that happens in IC seem to happen before the end of SSoV? Dead characters showing up, for example, or traitors showing up as heroes? I don't need any details... I just want to know if putting SSoV entirely before Infinite Crisis would work :)

Completely ignoring Infinite Crisis is your best bet.

[Adam C]

Okay, last question, as nebulously as possible:

Does anything that happens in IC seem to happen before the end of SSoV? Dead characters showing up, for example, or traitors showing up as heroes? I don't need any details... I just want to know if putting SSoV entirely before Infinite Crisis would work :)

Seven Soldiers of Victory was published as something completely separate and standalone in its own right, so it really has no bearing on Infinite Crisis. In fact Final Crisis is almost completely separate from IC since it spun out of the end of 52. Technically that was a consequence of the events of IC, but it was never brought up until the end of 52. So if your main concern is fully understanding the build-up to Final Crisis, Infinite Crisis is irrelevant and you can save yourself the $14.99. (As you can tell, I don't think highly of Infinite Crisis.)

[Sean Walsh]

Okay, last question, as nebulously as possible:

Does anything that happens in IC seem to happen before the end of SSoV? Dead characters showing up, for example, or traitors showing up as heroes? I don't need any details... I just want to know if putting SSoV entirely before Infinite Crisis would work :)

Frankenstein and Mr. Miracle show up briefly in IC.

Yes, Mr. Miracle.

The one who died at the end in SSoSV. And who returned seemingly not long before FINAL CRISIS, because he mentions dying and not really getting the circumstances of his return there.

....I don't get it either?