Final Crisis is a seven-issue
comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
limited seriesA limited series is a series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
in
2008-January:*January 9: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual, delayed since 2003, is published.*January 23: Hellblazer #240, marking the 20th anniversary of the series, is released.-February:...
and written by
Grant MorrisonGrant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. He is best-known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings.-Early years:...
. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists
Carlos PachecoCarlos Pacheco is a Spanish comic book artist and penciller. Pacheco was born in San Roque, Cádiz. He is best known in the United States for his work on titles such as Avengers Forever, X-Men and Green Lantern....
, Marco Rudy and
Doug MahnkeDouglas "Doug" Mahnke is an American comic book artist and penciller.-Biography:Mahnke's first prominent work was for The Mask, and he has since worked for DC Comics on JLA, Batman with writer Judd Winick, and Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein with Grant Morrison...
later provided art for the series. It directly follows
DC Universe #0 after the conclusion of the 51-issue
Countdown to Final Crisis weekly limited series. Promotion about the limited series describes its story as "the day evil won". The series deals with alien villain
DarkseidDarkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby. The character was ranked number 23 on Wizard magazine's Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever list...
's plot to overthrow reality, and the subsequent death and corruption of various DC characters and their universe.
Publication history
Final Crisis came out of several ideas Grant Morrison had when he returned to DC comics in 2003. Morrison said, "I pitched a huge crossover event called Hypercrisis, which didn’t happen for various reasons. Some of Hypercrisis went into
Seven SoldiersSeven Soldiers is a comic book metaseries written by Grant Morrison and published by DC Comics. It was published as seven interrelated mini-series and two bookend issues....
, some went into
All Star SupermanAll Star Superman is a twelve-issue comic book series featuring Superman that ran from November 2005 to October 2008. The series was written by Grant Morrison, drawn by Frank Quitely, digitally inked by Jamie Grant and published by DC Comics...
, some went into
5252 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
and some of it found a home in Final Crisis." According to Grant Morrison, work finally began on
Final Crisis #1 in early
2006-January:*January 1 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2 2006: Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
, with the intention of the series being a thematic and literal sequel to
Seven Soldiers and
52, two projects that Morrison was heavily involved in at the time.
References to
Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis is a seven-issue limited series of comic books written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway. The series was published by DC Comics, beginning in October of 2005...
as the "middle Crisis" gave readers the impression there would be at least one additional major follow-up to the original
Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their then-50-year-old continuity...
. A May 2007 teaser poster confirmed this speculation with the tagline: "Heroes die. Legends live forever."
The artwork met with delays, and Morrison had no intention of having them continue into
Final Crisis, as DC Comics had hoped. To keep the release on schedule,
Countdown wrapped with issue #1 and its planned final issue (#0) was revamped as a 50 cent one-shot special called "DC Universe" #0. Besides hyping upcoming storylines such as "
Batman R.I.P.Batman R.I.P. is a comic book story arc published in Batman #676-681 by DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Tony Daniel, and with covers by Alex Ross, the story pits the superhero Batman against the Black Glove organization as they attempt to destroy everything for which he stands...
" and "
The Blackest NightBlackest Night is an American comic book crossover event published by DC Comics in 2009 and 2010. Written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, Blackest Night forms the third part of a trilogy begun with Green Lantern: Rebirth and followed by "Sinestro Corps War"...
," the issue was narrated by
Barry AllenThe Flash The Flash The Flash (Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is the second character known as the Flash. The character first appeared in Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956), created by writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome and penciler...
and featured
LibraLibra is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America #111, published in June 1974, where he formed the first incarnation of the Injustice Gang...
leading a group of super-villains in prayer for the "god of evil",
DarkseidDarkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby. The character was ranked number 23 on Wizard magazine's Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever list...
. The result is, as described by Morrison, that "we’re watching him fall back through the present, into the past of
Seven Soldiers where he finally comes to rest in the body of 'Boss Dark Side’, the gangster from that story."
To help readers identify events pertinent to
Final Crisis and other major DCU events in the coming months, a "Sightings" cover banner appears on various DC comics as "signposts, marking important storybeats and moments throughout the DC Universe." The first such headers appeared on
Justice League of America (vol. 2) #21 and
Action Comics #866, respectively (the
JLA issue featured Libra's return and his recruiting of the
Human FlameThe Human Flame is a comic book character, a supervillain in DC Comics' main shared universe. He first appeared in Detective Comics #274 , and was created by Jack Miller and Joe Certa.-Publication history:...
).
The original intent was for Jones to pencil the whole series. Due to delays, however,
Carlos PachecoCarlos Pacheco is a Spanish comic book artist and penciller. Pacheco was born in San Roque, Cádiz. He is best known in the United States for his work on titles such as Avengers Forever, X-Men and Green Lantern....
drew issues #4-6 with Jones, and issue 7 was drawn entirely by
Doug MahnkeDouglas "Doug" Mahnke is an American comic book artist and penciller.-Biography:Mahnke's first prominent work was for The Mask, and he has since worked for DC Comics on JLA, Batman with writer Judd Winick, and Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein with Grant Morrison...
. Jones said that “Any problems completing the series are my own. I love Doug Mahnke’s art, and he would have probably been a better choice to draw this series in the first place.”
In addition to the core limited series the larger storyline includes a number of tie-ins, comprising one-shots and limited series.
The one-shots comprise "Requiem," "Resist," "Secret Files" and "Submit". Also "
Rage of the Red LanternsThe Red Lantern Corps is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They debuted in Green Lantern #25 and were created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver...
" is the start of a storyline of the same name, that picks up on events in "
Green Lantern: Secret Origin"Secret Origin" is a comic book story arc published in Green Lantern #29-35 by DC Comics. Written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, the story retells the origin of Earth's first Green Lantern Corps member Hal Jordan for the New Earth continuity...
" and continues in
Green LanternGreen Lantern is the name of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 ....
#36-38. It starts as a tie-in because, according to writer
Geoff JohnsGeoff Johns is an American comic book and television writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, in particular for the characters Green Lantern and the Flash...
, "events in
Final Crisis have motivated the Guardians to proceed further with their attempted containment of the light".
The limited series comprise
Superman Beyond (a two issue mini-series also written by
Grant MorrisonGrant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. He is best-known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings.-Early years:...
),
Legion of 3 Worlds (a five-issue limited series focusing on the different incarnations of the
Legion of Super-HeroesThe Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
),
RevelationsFinal Crisis: Revelations is a five-issue comic book limited series written by Greg Rucka, with art by Philip Tan, Jeff De Los Santos, and Jonathan Glapion.-Outline:...
(a five-issue limited series), and
Rogues' RevengeFinal Crisis: Rogues' Revenge is a three-issue 2008 mini-series produced by DC Comics. The series is a tie-in to Final Crisis, and is written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Scott Kolins. This reunites the creative team for the first time since their critically acclaimed run on The Flash Final...
(a three-issue mini-series focused on the
Flash RoguesAlthough they tend to lack the wider name recognition of the villains who oppose Batman and Superman, the enemies of The Flash — through their unique blend of colorful costumes, diverse powers, unusual abilities, and perhaps most notably, the lack of any one defining element or theme between...
).
Plot
Final Crisis opens with a series of scenes depicting events across the DC Universe.
MetronMetron is a character created by Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series in DC Comics. He was "based on Leonard Nimoy as Spock," and designed as a character who "would frequently change sides
[between New Genesis and Apokolips
]." He first appeared in New Gods #1 .-...
of the
New GodsThe New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comics about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
is shown at the dawn of human civilization giving
AnthroAnthro is a fictional character published by DC Comics. Anthro was created by cartoonist Howard Post; he first appeared in Showcase #74, .-Publication history:...
the gift of fire, proclaiming, "
Here is knowledge.". In the present day, detective
Dan TurpinDaniel "Terrible" Turpin is a fictional character published by DC Comics. Turpin was created by Jack Kirby, he first appeared as Brooklyn in Detective Comics #64 , and first appeared as Dan Turpin in New Gods #5 .-Publication history:Due to a recent retcon, Dan Turpin was made the adult version of...
discovers a dying
OrionOrion is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in New Gods #1 , and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
. The
Guardians of the UniverseThe Guardians of the Universe are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 , and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane....
inform the
Green Lantern CorpsThe Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians; a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
that a god has been murdered. The superhuman community soon becomes involved. Meanwhile, the villain
LibraLibra is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America #111, published in June 1974, where he formed the first incarnation of the Injustice Gang...
has begun recruiting
a supervillain armyThe Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
, killing the
Martian ManhunterJ'onn J'onzz, also referred to as the Martian Manhunter, is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225 J'onn J'onzz, also referred to as the Martian...
in a display of power. While investigating the area where Orion's death occurred,
Green LanternGreen Lantern is the name of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 ....
John StewartJohn Stewart is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 2 #87 , and was created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams.-Publication history:...
is attacked and nearly killed by an unknown assailant using a Green Lantern power ring.
Hal JordanHarold "Hal" Jordan is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero. He is DC Comics' second Green Lantern and the first earthman ever inducted into the Green Lantern Corps and founding member of the Justice League of America...
is soon framed for the attack.
The superhuman community slowly becomes aware of a plot by the
New GodsThe New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comics about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
of
ApokolipsIn the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
to conquer and enslave humanity. After discovering that John Stewart's attacker was in fact an Alpha Lantern named Kraken,
BatmanThe Batman, originally referred to as the Bat-Man, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics...
is abducted.
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
is forced to leave Earth in an attempt to save the life of
Lois LaneLois Joanne Lane-Kent is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
.
Mary MarvelMary Marvel is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine, originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 in...
, whose body is possessed by
DesaadIn DC Comics' comic books, Desaad is one of the followers of Darkseid from the planet of Apokolips in Jack Kirby's Fourth World meta-series.Darkseid's master torturer, his name is a play on the Marquis de Sade...
, infects
Wonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superhero created by William Moulton Marston. First appearing in All Star Comics #8 , she is one of three characters to have been continuously published by DC Comics since the company's 1944 inception .Wonder Woman is a member of an all-female tribe of Amazons...
with morticoccus, the "god bacterium" designed to strip Earth's heroes of their powers. Also in the second issue,
Barry AllenThe Flash The Flash The Flash (Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is the second character known as the Flash. The character first appeared in Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956), created by writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome and penciler...
, the second
FlashThe Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
, returns from the dead, and attempts to prevent Orion's murder. The Evil Gods' forces deliver the final blow to humanity when they release the
Anti-Life EquationThe Anti-Life Equation is the fictional equation for which the DC Comics villain Darkseid is searching in the Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting. It is for this reason that he sends his forces to Earth, as he believes part of the equation exists in the human subconscious...
on modern means of digital communication, from TV and radio to the Internet, turning nearly half of humanity into mindless slaves of Darkseid.
Barry Allen reunites with his wife,
Iris WestIris West Allen is a fictional character who appears in various DC Comics publications. She is the wife of the second Flash, Barry Allen, the aunt of the third Flash, Wally West, and the grandmother of the fourth Flash, Bart Allen...
, and kisses her, freeing her from the Anti-Life Equation. Throughout the world, various superheroes are shown resisting the Anti-Life Equation, which culminates in an attack on Darkseid's forces in
BlüdhavenBlüdhaven is a fictional city in the . Created by Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel in 1996, it was originally intended to serve as a backdrop for the Nightwing comics series.-Fictional geography:...
, occurring in
Final Crisis #5. Also in this issue, Nix Uotan - a
MonitorThe Monitors are a group of fictional comic book characters, who appear in books published by DC Comics.They are based on The Monitor, a character created by comic book writer Marv Wolfman and comic artist George Pérez as one of the main characters of DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths limited...
who was sentenced to live life on Earth as a human - with the help of what looks like
Sam SimeonAngel and the Ape was a humour comic book created by E. Nelson Bridwell published by DC Comics. The characters first appeared in 1968 in Showcase #77 then graduated to their own title, with art by comic artist Bob Oksner, most often inked by Wally Wood...
, is shown to remember his past and is awakened as a powerful new being. With the help of other evil New Gods hiding in human bodies, Turpin's body has been altered to serve as a new vessel for Darkseid's consciousness and powers, and Turpin struggles with Darkseid for control of the body. Losing hope, Turpin surrenders his body and Darkseid becomes fully alive again.
In
Final Crisis #6, the Flashes attempt to stop Darkseid before his presence on Earth destroys all of reality. Within Darkseid's bunker,
BatmanThe Batman, originally referred to as the Bat-Man, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics...
escapes and confronts Darkseid. He states that he will "make a once in a lifetime exception" to his "no firearms" rule and shoots Darkseid using the bullet that killed Orion. As Darkseid is shot, he fires the Omega Sanction from his eyes and apparently kills Batman.
Doctor SivanaDoctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a fictional comic book supervillain. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, he first appeared opposite superhero Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics #2 by Fawcett Comics...
helps disable the
JustifiersThe Justifiers are foot soldiers in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Forever People #3, , and were created by Jack Kirby.-History:...
so that
Lex LuthorLex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Superman and first appeared in Action Comics #23 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Luthor is described as "a power-mad, evil scientist" of incredible...
can kill Libra.
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
returns to Earth from the 31st century, where he was given access to the reality-altering
Miracle MachineThe Miracle Machine is a fictitious device in the DC Comics universe. The machine first appeared in Adventure Comics #367, April 1968.It was created by the Controllers no later than 2960, and given as a gift to the Legion of Super-Heroes in the late 30th century for their work in defeating a...
by
Brainiac 5Brainiac 5 is a fictional character who exists in the future of the DC Universe. He is a long standing member of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
. In a fit of desperate rage, Superman attacks Darkseid's bunker, finding Batman's charred corpse within.
Barry Allen and
Wally WestThe Flash is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics Universe. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash.-Kid Flash:...
, still pursued by the Black Racer, arrive to witness Superman's clash with Darkseid. Darkseid's followers unleash Omega Beams on the two Flashes, who outrace the beams and cause them to hit Darkseid. The Black Racer reaches Darkseid as he lays dying from Radion poisoning and removes his essence/soul from Dan Turpin's body. The
Female FuriesThe Female Furies are a group of fictional women warriors appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Mister Miracle #6 , and were created by Jack Kirby.-Team history:...
clash with Libra's army of mind-controlled superhumans, who are now under Luthor's control.
Wonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superhero created by William Moulton Marston. First appearing in All Star Comics #8 , she is one of three characters to have been continuously published by DC Comics since the company's 1944 inception .Wonder Woman is a member of an all-female tribe of Amazons...
is freed and binds Darkseid's body with her lasso, freeing the rest of humanity from Darkseid's control. But Darkseid's essence continues to drag the multiverse down into him, with only a few buildings of Earth-0/New Earth not being drawn into Darkseid who is now a black hole. Time and space begin to unwind as Darkseid's essence dies.
As reality breaks down around him and the universe slowly dies, Superman, with the help of the remaining superheroes and humans, completes construction of a copy of the Miracle Machine. Darkseid's essence attempts to claim the Miracle Machine in a last ditch effort to defeat Superman. However, Superman sings a note at a frequency that counters Darkseid's own vibrational frequency, shattering his essence. At this point Mandrakk the Dark Monitor arrives to consume Superman. He taunts Superman, saying he has nothing to start the Miracle Machine with, so Superman should come to Mandrakk and embrace the death of everything. Superman counters this, and uses the solar energy in his body to power the Miracle Machine, in order to restore the Multiverse to its proper form. Then, an army of alternate Supermen from across the Multiverse appears, led by the
Captain MarvelCaptain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
of Earth-5 and gathered by the Question. Nix Uotan arrives and in turn, summons the Zoo Crew (restoring their original forms and powers in the process), as well as the Army of Heaven, the
Green Lantern CorpsThe Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians; a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
, and the Super Young Team, (who are referred to as the Forever People of the 5th World), who had been on Earth-51. Together the heroes confront Mandrakk and the battle ends when the Green Lantern Corps stake Mandrakk with a spear created by their rings' energy. The Supermen and the Green Lanterns drag Earth from the black hole that is Darkseid back to its original position. Nix Uotan restores Earth-51 with bits and pieces from other versions of Earth and places the reborn New Gods there. Nix Uotan then forces the other Monitors to stop interfering with the Multiverse, leading to their nonexistence, due to Superman's wish with the Miracle Machine for a "happy ending". In the end, Nix is reborn on the restored New Earth/Earth-0.
In the distant past, Anthro dies of old age years after bringing fire to the people of earth. Bruce Wayne, still in his Batman garb, lays his utility belt upon Anthro's body, and begins drawing a bat symbol on the cave wall.
Morrison on Final Crisis
Grant Morrison has made several statements on the narrative and thematic content of Final Crisis. In Spring 2008 Morrison explained his conception of the series:
Metron's appearance in
Final Crisis #1 touches on themes raised in Morrison's
Seven SoldiersSeven Soldiers is a comic book metaseries written by Grant Morrison and published by DC Comics. It was published as seven interrelated mini-series and two bookend issues....
meta-series, with the origin of
AuraklesAurakles is a fictional character, a superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America vol. 1 #100 , and was created by Len Wein and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
, which posited "the idea of the
New GodsThe New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comics about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
having altered human history for their own purposes." This also draws on ideas Morrison put forward in his run on
JLAThe Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
"that Earth was destined to become the cradle of a new race of 'Fifth World super-divinities."
Morrison commented on the death of the New God Orion by saying "Knowing how cosmic and epic it was going to get, I wanted to start the story at street level, with the discovery of the body of a god in the trash," He also stated, in relation to the death of the Martian Manhunter, that he "wanted to open with a nasty, execution-style death of a superhero as a way of demonstrating how far behind us the
Silver AgeThe Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and the interregnum the Atomic Age, the Silver Age is considered to cover the period from...
is."
Morrison notes that Batman's use of the gun in
Final Crisis #6 is symbolic as “the root of the Batman mythos is the gun and the bullet that created Batman. So, Batman himself is finally standing there to complete that big mythical circle and to have the image of Batman up against the actual personification of evil and now he's got the gun and he's got the bullet. It seemed to me to work."
Format
The first issue of
Final Crisis went on sale May 28 2008.
Final Crisis was seven oversized issues released over nine months starting in May 2008.
Tie-ins
Several one-shots and mini-series have been released as tie-ins to
Final Crisis: three series run in parallel to the main main one and the one-shot, "DC Universe: Last Will and Testament," was planned to fit in the 'break' between
Final Crisis #3 and #4.
Morrison, who wrote one of the "final" Batman stories in "
Batman R.I.P.Batman R.I.P. is a comic book story arc published in Batman #676-681 by DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Tony Daniel, and with covers by Alex Ross, the story pits the superhero Batman against the Black Glove organization as they attempt to destroy everything for which he stands...
," stated, "First it's
R.I.P., and we'll see how that winds up for Batman. Then the two-parter mentioned (
Batman #682-683) goes through Batman's whole career, in a big summing up of everything that also ties directly into
Final Crisis. And
Final Crisis is where we see the final fate of Batman."
- Batman
Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#682-683
- "DC Universe" #0
- "DC Universe: Last Will and Testament"
- Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #1-5
- "Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns" (one-shot)
- "Final Crisis: Requiem" (one-shot)
- "Final Crisis: Resist" (one-shot)
- Final Crisis: Revelations
Final Crisis: Revelations is a five-issue comic book limited series written by Greg Rucka, with art by Philip Tan, Jeff De Los Santos, and Jonathan Glapion.-Outline:...
#1-5
- Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge
Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge is a three-issue 2008 mini-series produced by DC Comics. The series is a tie-in to Final Crisis, and is written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Scott Kolins. This reunites the creative team for the first time since their critically acclaimed run on The Flash Final...
#1-3
- "Final Crisis: Secret Files" (one-shot)
- "Final Crisis: Sketchbook" (one-shot)
- "Final Crisis: Submit" (one-shot)
- Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1-2
- Justice League of America (vol. 2) #21
Reading order
Morrison has provided a reading order for the main series and tie-ins written by him:"
- Final Crisis #1-3
- Superman Beyond #1-2
- Submit
- Final Crisis #4–5
- Batman #682–683
- Final Crisis #6–7
Aftermath
In a move
Dan DiDioDan DiDio is the Senior Vice President — Executive Editor, DC Universe, for DC Comics.Wizard magazine recognized him as its first ever “Man of the Year” back in 2003 for his work on the DC Universe line.-TV work:...
described as "inspirationally tied to
Final Crisis," in early 2009 the villains will take over the main
DC UniverseThe DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
titles and some will be featured in "
Faces of Evil"Faces of Evil" is a DC Comics "event" in January 2009, that editor Dan DiDio described as "inspirationally tied to Final Crisis" as they aim to address the question the series raises: "What happens when evil wins?" Numerous monthly books will have villains displayed on their covers while four...
," a series of one-shots, all designed to examine the question "What happens when evil wins?"
Four
Final Crisis Aftermath six-issue limited series were announced at New York Comic Con 2009:
- Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! featuring the Human Flame
The Human Flame is a comic book character, a supervillain in DC Comics' main shared universe. He first appeared in Detective Comics #274 , and was created by Jack Miller and Joe Certa.-Publication history:...
, written by Matt Sturges, with art by Freddie WilliamsFreddie E. Williams II is an American comic book artist. Best known for his work on DC Comics' Robin, and for working almost entirely in Digital format.-Biography:Williams was born in Kansas City, Kansas and now lives in Lees Summit, Missouri....
- Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance featuring the Super Young Team
The Super Young Team is a fictional Japanese superhero team in the . The team first appears in Final Crisis Sketchbook #1 , and was created by Grant Morrison and J. G. Jones.-Publication history:...
, written by Joe CaseyJoe Casey is an American comic book writer. He has worked on titles such as Wildcats 3.0, Uncanny X-Men, The Intimates, Adventures of Superman, and G.I. Joe: America's Elite, among others.-Biography:...
, with art by ChrisCrossChrisCross is a comic book illustrator, known mostly for his stints pencilling Milestone Comics' Blood Syndicate and Heroes also Marvel Comics' Captain Marvel and Slingers.-Biography:...
- Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape featuring Nemesis
Nemesis is the name of two fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. Thomas Andrew Tresser first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #166, , and was created by Cary Burkett and Dan Spiegle. Soseh Myrkos first appeared in JSA Annual #1, , and was created by David S...
, written by Ivan BrandonIvan Brandon is a comic book artist known for his work on titles such as DC Comics' Final Crisis Aftermath: The Escape and Kobra and Marvel Comics' Secret Invasion and X-Force. He is also the co-creator of Image Comics' Viking, The Cross Bronx and NYC Mech....
, with art by Marco Rudy
- Final Crisis Aftermath: Ink featuring the Tattooed Man
The Tattooed Man is the name of two of Green Lantern's enemies, as well as of one related character.-Abel Tarrant:The first Tattooed Man first appeared in Green Lantern v2, #23 ....
, written by Eric Wallace, with art by Fabrizio Fiorentino
The Flash: RebirthThe Flash: Rebirth is a six issue monthly American comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver. Published by DC Comics, the series features characters from throughout the nearly seventy year history of Flash comics. This is the creative team's second...
addresses
Barry AllenThe Flash The Flash The Flash (Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is the second character known as the Flash. The character first appeared in Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956), created by writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome and penciler...
's return in
Final Crisis.
Battle for the Cowl deals with the aftermath of the apparent death of Batman and the selection of his successor.
Collected editions
The series will be collected into a single
volumeIn comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Final Crisis (collects Final Crisis #1-7, "Final Crisis Superman Beyond 3D" #1-2, and "Final Crisis: Submit", 352 pages, hardcover, June 2009, ISBN 1-4012-2281-1)
DC originally solicited the hardcover collection containing only issues #1-7 of the main "Final Crisis" series. However, they changed their plans as announced at MegaCon 2009 to also include the Grant Morrison-penned "Final Crisis: Superman Beyond 3D" #1-2 and "Final Crisis: Submit".
In addition the main tie-ins are being collected as follows:
- Final Crisis Companion (collects "Final Crisis #1 Director's Cut", "Final Crisis: Requiem", "Final Crisis: Resist", and "Final Crisis Secret Files", 200 pages, softcover, Titan
Titan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London's Bankside area, close to Tate Modern...
, July 2009, ISBN 1-84856-315-9, DC, June 2009, ISBN 1-4012-2274-9)
- Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds (168 pages, hardcover, August 2009, ISBN 1-4012-2324-9)
- Final Crisis: Revelations (168 pages, hardcover, August 2009, ISBN 1-4012-2322-2)
- Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge (144 pages, hardcover, July 2009, ISBN 1-4012-2333-8)
- Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns (collects "Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns" and Green Lantern
Green Lantern is the name of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 ....
#26-28 and #36-38, 176 pages, hardcover, July 2009, ISBN 1-4012-2301-X)
As are the Final Crisis Aftermath mini-series:
- Final Crisis Aftermath: Run (144 pages, softcover, February 2010, ISBN 1-4012-2606-X)
- Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance (144 pages, softcover, February 2010, ISBN 1-4012-2605-1)
Sales
Sales estimates for May 2008 put
Final Crisis #1 in second place to the second issue of
Secret Invasion"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several titles published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008. The story involves a subversive, long-term invasion of Earth by the alien Skrulls...
, with estimated sales of 159,036.