MiB: International Trailer, My Thoughts

Men in Black. The adventures of agents of a clandestine spy organization dedicated to protecting Earth from alien threats. Did you know it started out as a comic book? No joke! It originally started out as a three-issue comic series written by American creator Lowell Cunningham and drawn by Canadian artist Sandy Carruthers. The issues were originally published in 1990 for Canadian comic publisher Aircel Comics. In 1991, a second three-issue series was published by Malibu Comics after acquitting Aircel. Funny enough, in 1994, Marvel would end up owning Malibu, and when the original film adaptation of Men in Black was released in 1997, Marvel would put out a comic adaptation and reprint the first issue of the original Aircel series.

The 1997 film has allowed the comic to become a franchise, spawning two sequels, an animated series, and video games. And now...a spin-off film. That's right, this film focuses on some new agents. After all, the United States is not the only place in the world that has alien problems. Let's take a look at the trailer for MiB: International!

Trailers have done that a lot lately, showing little snippets before the start. Why do they do that? That's weird.

Ah, Paris. I'd like to see the Eiffel Tower in person one day. And have a croissant.

Hey, Chris Hemsworth! I imagine a futuristic gun is a nice change for him.

Well, I'd rather have Liam Neeson at my back than Sean Bean. Bean tends to die on people a lot.

*Zelda Rubinstein from Poltergeist voice* Don't go into the light...

New York, New York! So nice, ya gotta say it twice!

She's been looking for these guys for twenty years? Man, I bet her friends ask her to find their stuff all the time, as she will not give up until she finds it!

Nice to see Tessa Thompson again. I bet she and Chris had a laugh when they found themselves working together again.

Heh, the Noisy Crickets.

Tessa Thompson rockin' the suit.

Coffee aliens! I love the coffee aliens!

I say it again, I bet Chris and Tessa had a chuckle about working on a film together again.

Heh, the MiB are the gun nut's wet dream.

You know, considering all the crazy things this bunch had to deal with, I doubt that the MiB can keep the public in the dark about the existence of aliens forever. Something's going to break.

I WANT THAT CAR.

Oh, nice nod to Thor there.

Well, I'm excited for this movie. I loved Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson in Thor: Ragnarok, so I'm glad to see them together in another flick. And I think this looks like a ton of fun!

Wolverine #1 (September 1982)

Wolverine. The best there is at what he does, and what he does is not very nice. Making his full first appearance in The Incredible Hulk #181 (November 1974), Wolverine has become one of the Marvel Universe's most famous and beloved characters.

But who is this cigar-chomping claw-popping fighting machine? Well, his history is long and complicated. Born in the late 1880s in Canada, James Howlett endured a lot in his early life. The product of an affair, early tragedy, living in the woods, fighting in both World Wars,
victim of the Weapon X program. He's been a member of numerous superteams, mainly the X-Men and the Avengers. Those who know him regard him as a complex man, a man who struggles to reconcile his animal instincts with his innately noble nature. He's been a leader and a protector, a soldier and a guardian.

In the 1980s, Wolverine's popularity would grow thanks to his membership in the X-Men and general tough-guy personality. It would reach the point where he would eventually get his own solo miniseries, which we're going to look at the first issue of here. So, did Wolverine's first solo adventure start strong? Let's find out as we look at Wolverine #1!

The cover is basic, but it works. This is Wolverine's first solo miniseries, and it showcases exactly what you're going to get. You're going to get the Canucklehead, and he's going to kick some butts. You want a piece of him? He's inviting you to try and get some.

"I'm Wolverine"
Writer: Chris Claremont
Penciler: Frank Miller
Inker: Josef Rubinstein
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Editor: Louise Jones
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with Logan doing a bit of rock climbing.

He's doing some of his climbing in the Canadian Rockies, a place that is like home to him. You know, someone should write a Wolverine story set in the Canadian Rockies that pays homage to the film Cliffhanger. However, Logan isn't there for fun. He's hunting a killer. He found the remains of a pair of Mounties, and he's tracking the responsible party.

He carefully approaches a cave, knowing his quarry is there. Thanks to the wind shifting, Logan's quarry knows he's there. Logan waits for the quarry to come to him. The Wolverine's patience pays off.

A big angry grizzly bear. Wolverine quickly unsheaths his claws and slashes off the bear's arm. However, this only seems to anger the bear even more, driving it into a berserk fury. Wolverine quickly kills the mad animal. He notices that there's an arrow in the bear's back. He discovers that the arrow has a barbed tip, which is illegal. It's also coated with poison, which drove the bear insane. The hunter who shot this bear with the arrow didn't finish the creature off, probably thinking that the poison would do the job. Thanks to this hunter, quite a few people are dead. As Logan himself says, "Time to balance the books".

It takes a few days, but Logan is able to find the hunter who shot the bear at a bar near by the den. He approaches the hunter and tells him that the Mounties want a word with him. After all, two of their own are dead thanks to him. For his trouble, the Canucklehead gets a beer stein to the face. The bear put up a better fight than the hunter.

When he returned to the Xavier Institute, he got some mail. Among them were something that got him suspicious. He had written a bunch of letters to Mariko Yashida, who was a daughter of one of the most powerful and richest families in Japan. She first appeared in X-Men #118 (February 1979), and she had taken a shine to Logan in X-Men #123 (July 1979) after the two of them spent some time together during an adventure the X-Men had in Japan. He phoned the Japanese Embassy, and they told him she was there, but was summoned back home to Japan weeks ago. When he called her home directly, he got hung up on. Logan then takes the next flight to the Land of the Rising Sun.

When he arrives, he runs into an old friend: Asano Kimura. Kimura works for the immigration services in Japan now. Back the day though, the two did their fair share of...wetwork together. Evidently, Logan has a bit of a reputation in Tokyo. A rep that makes some powerful folks in the city a bit nervous. Logan doesn't really care. All he wants is just to talk to Mariko, and he's clearly being stonewalled. He wants to know why. They love each other, why is she being kept away from him?

Asano explains that because of her position, she has duties and is bound by some very ancient traditions. If she is in trouble, Logan can't help her. Logan's like, "Bull". There's also another problem. You see...Mariko is married. Her father disappeared during her childhood, and was presumed dead. But he recently resurfaced, and retook his place as head of the Clan Yashida. Evidently, during his disappearance, the old man had gotten some big obligation over his head, and the only way to pay it off was to marry Mariko off. Wolverine, being the ever-calm reasonable soul, show his understanding of the situation by Mighty Punching a lamp.

Asano reminds Wolverine that Mariko does value her honor. Logan can't live without her, but Asano tells him he must learn to. This marriage is important, and heartbroken as she may be, Mariko understands and accepts it. Logan has to see her, despite Asano's warnings that it will only make things worse...and Asano may have to hunt him down. Logan gets his costume on and invites Asano to try. That night, Logan arrives at the Yashida stronghold.

Logan is able to intimidate the guard dogs. He notices that he's having a rather...easy time breaking in. No guards, no traps, not even a "Keep Out" sign. This makes Logan rather wary. He finds Mariko kneeling in front of a Buddha statue in the stronghold's garden. The darkness conceals her, like she doesn't want to be seen. She tries to tell Logan to leave, but the feral mutant refuses. He wants her to look at him, but he is shocked at what he sees.

Evidently, Mariko's hubby is rather fond of using her as a punching bag. Logan is understandably infuriated. He tries to get her to come with him. After all, any court in the land would grant her a divorce from her husband. She doesn't want to, saying she is bound by more important obligations. Mariko shows Wolverine a pair of swords, forged by the legendary swordsmith Masamune. The swords represent her family. They represent the Yashida Clan's honor, duty, and traditions. Mariko was a free woman when she made her commitment to Logan. But with her father back, things have changed, and she has her honor and duty to think about. Logan is outraged by this. Mariko is a human being! But she gave her word, and is bound by honor.

Logan then picks up another scent, one he finds foul. And it's one that understandably gets the claws out. It's her husband, a crime boss named Noboru Hideki, angry she didn't do what she was told. Logan greets Nideki in the form of a hand to his throat, planning to introduce his claws to the man. Mariko stops him, pleading with him to let her husband live. Logan, despite his protests, agrees. After all, he loves her and can deny her nothing. The feral mutant leaves the room, planning to leave for New York tomorrow. However, he gets some poisoned shuriken for his trouble.

For an ordinary man, the poison would be fatal. But Wolverine is no ordinary man. He has a healing factor, so it only knocks him out. However, it does hurt, and the poison was incredibly potent, so he barely made it. Yeah, at this point, Wolverine's healing factor wasn't portrayed as powerful as it was in current comics. He could recover from injuries and diseases quicker than the average man, but he still needed time. When he awakens, he finds himself in the company of Lord Shingen Yashida, head of the Yashida Clan.

Logan's still a bit messed up from the poison. His senses are scrambled. He could easily dispatch the Sumo guards Shingen has, but Mariko is outside and she could get hurt. Shingen is not too fond of Logan. He knows that the Canadian is in love with his daughter and desires her hand. Based on his dialogue, it can be assumed that he sees Logan as a bit of an unwashed peasant. You see, the Yashida Clan is an old family, as old as the Emperors of Japan. In fact, Shingen believes that he has a legit claim to the Emperor's throne.

Shingen picks up a sword...a wooden sword. It's a bokken, which is used for training in sword combat, as it's relatively safer than an actual sword. The Western equivalent is a waster. Who says comics aren't educational? He passes one to Logan, and basically tells him "Beat me in a wooden swordfight, and I'll show you respect." Also, he feels that the Canucklehead is not worthy of fighting with the real thing.

The two fight. Thing is, Wolverine hasn't used a sword in years. He's good, but Shingen is a master. He's also a master cheater. Logan's system is still dealing with the poison the shuriken gave him, so as a result, Logan is slower and weaker than normal. It's something Shingen takes full advantage of, attacking Logan's nerve clusters, intending to kill him. In desperation, Logan tosses the bokken aside and unleashes his trademark metal claws. It's then that he realizes exactly what Shingen was planning.

Shingen was trying to make Logan look dishonorable...and it worked. Mariko didn't understand what Shingen was trying to do to him with his bokken attacks, and she's also unaware that Logan was poisoned. Logan's mind and heart are now as off-balance as his body, and Shingen is able to hand him his butt.

Logan wakes in an alley in Tokyo. His body will recover, but as for his heart...well, what can a healing factor do to fix heartbreak and a shattered soul. A group of punks decide that Logan could use another good beatdown, because they aren't too fond of foreigners. However, before they can give Logan some hands...and a lead pipe...and a knife...they all take daggers to the back and drop dead. Logan thinks his savior is Asano. After all, the killings look like they're a professional job. But he's wrong.

A mysterious woman picks Logan up. The story ends with her telling him he is hers, now and forever.

This issue was pretty good. It does a very good job establishing Wolverine's characterization and the dilemma he has to deal with here. I have to admit, I do like Logan's narration in the comic, as it gives the story a bit of a noir feel. It's also interesting hearing some of the things Logan says about his past. At this point, Logan's backstory still had a lot of mystery around it. It's interesting seeing him mention that he knew his father, despite later revelations about his past. As well as the remark about Wolverine and Asano working together in the past. It does give the impression that Claremont may have had some basic idea about what Wolverine's backstory was intended to be. I can't help but wonder, if he did have plans, what were they? What did he intend Wolverine's origins to be? I would love to know.

As for the art, Frank Miller's art is quite interesting in this one. It's great, but it's interesting. Nowadays, when people think of Frank Miller's art, they think of his work in Dark Knight Returns and Sin City, which has much stockier figures and in Sin City's case, the usage of shadows. It's amazing that the art in this comic came from the same man who made those. I can't help but wonder if the noir feel of the story was Miller's influence. Would make sense, considering film noir is one of Miller's big influences.

I read this in the trade Wolverine: First Cuts, a 2013 trade paperback released in promotion of the 2013 solo Wolverine film. It collected stories that were used as inspiration for the film. Sadly, it didn't collect the whole 1982 Wolverine solo miniseries, just the first two issues. I don't understand why, just include the whole thing for completeness' sake. Anyway, this comic was really good, and I highly recommend it. Next time, we join Batman for a holiday celebration...

Hellboy (2019) Trailer, My Thoughts

Hellboy. Created by Mike Mignola, he first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (August 1993). The eponymous character was a half-demon named Anung Un Rama who was summoned to Earth as a child during WWII by Nazi occultists. However, he would become a defender of Earth against supernatural forces alongside the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.).

The character has become quite popular over the last 25 years, appearing in numerous comics, animation, video games (He was a guest fighter in Injustice 2), and films. Yup, live-action movies. Hellboy appeared in two live-action films in 2004 and 2008, both directed by Guillermo Del Toro and starring Ron Perlman in the title role. I love those movies, they are so good.

Well, a reboot has been announced in the works, with David Harbour taking up the big red Right Hand of Doom, and here's the trailer for it!

Hey, Billy Idol! Awesome!

Yeah, I don't think you need to ask for ID from a big red demon, lady. He's pretty distinctive.

...does Hellboy have to play King Arthur here? You know, get the sword out of the stone?

You'd think the BPRD would tell the cops, "Hey, we got a guy to handle this. Just keep in mind he's big and red, please don't shoot him."

I hope that place is a legit fish and chip shop. You can grab a snack on the way to the meeting. That's always convenient.

Well, to be fair, a red demon with a big gun and equally big right hand can be scary at first glance.

Join the BPRD! Free equestrian lessons!

The hand also unlocks the end of the world. No biggie.

HELLBOY VS. WINGED MONSTER AT WRESTLEMANIA! BOOK IT, VINCE!

OW. THAT WILL HURT.

Milla Jovovich as a villain, huh? That'll be interesting.

Ohhhhh, Hellboy's gone full demon. Aw, Hell...

I know are people are complaining about it, but yeah, people like to complain. Honestly, I'll give this a fair shot. I liked the original films, so I hope this new film is good.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Take Your Heart DLC Trailer, My Thoughts

At the 2018 Game Awards, Nintendo made a little announcement. They decided to reveal the first of their DLC fighters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Who was that first DLC fighter? Let's find out!

Ah, dang it! I hate it when the screen cuts out like that! *smacks monitor* Work!

Ah, there we go! ..."Take Your Heart"? Did I get hacked?

I know a certain evil clown that would really dislike this guy using his name. He gets very angry about that.

Cool mask, bro.

So, he's there to steal something, huh?

Buddy, if you're invited to try and steal something, it's a trap.

I have to admit, I like the music in this trailer. Rather groovy.

That's right! Super Smash Bros., meet Joker from the Atlus role-playing game Persona 5! Gotta admit, this is a surprise, as Persona 5 is exclusive to the PlayStations 3 and 4. Who is Joker, you may ask? Well, in his native game, he is part of a group of teenagers known as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, a group of young vigilantes who solve people's problems through supernatural means. Joker himself is the character the player...plays as in the game. He's voiced by Xander Mobus in the US, the same man who voices the announcer in the Smash Bros. games.

Joker's Persona is quite something, huh? Big fire monster. A Persona in the game is the manifestation of a person's psyche. They're used to battle enemies known as Shadows.

The Persona series is rather complicated. The series' general theme is the characters finding their true selves and the exploration of the human psyche. The series has design elements that draw from religion, literature, mythology, Jungian psychology, and archetypes. It's also a spinoff of another video game series called Shin Megami Tensei, which was based on a series of Japanese science fiction novels called Devil Digital Story by Aya Nishitani. Those games are known for their dark themes and heavy religious influences. Yeah, it's a heavy series that is a spin-off of another heavy series.

The Persona series is rather popular internationally (selling over 9 million copies), and also helped garner interest in the Shin Megami Tensei series in North America. So, it does make sense that the series would get some representiation in this game. I've never played any of the games myself, so I am curious to see how this guy plays, and what the heck is Final Smash will be.

Katamari Damacy Reroll Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

In 2002, Namco published a game for the PlayStation 2 called Katamari Damacy. The game told the tale of a prince who must rebuild the stars and Moon because his father, the King of All Cosmos, did the ultimate goof-up and destroyed them all. How will the prince do this job, you ask? Well, he's got to roll a big adhesive ball called a katamari around, make stuff stick to it, and then those things are used to rebuild the stars. Fun fact, the word katamari means "clump" or "clod" in Japanese. And "Damacy" comes from the word Damashii, which is a form of the word tamashii, which means "soul" or "spirit". The game's name literally means "clump soul".

The game was considered a bit of a sleeper hit upon release, and won numerous awards. It also got a lot of critical praise. Despite this, the game was able to launch a franchise. The game has had eight sequels, released on various consoles, handhelds, and even on mobile phones.

A high-definition remaster of the original Katamari has come to the Nintendo Switch, so let's grab our giant adhesive balls, rebuild the stars, and take a look at the launch trailer!

...are those ripoff Lego figures?

The stars have vanished, huh? Maybe Chicken Little wasn't completely out of his mind.

Aw man, we missed the giant robot's epic smackdown of the monster! I hate missing the epic smackdowns. Ah well, that show's likely on Netflix anyway.

 What's all the screaming for? The Prince doesn't look that scary!

Have you been drinking again, King of the Cosmos? You know perfectly well cosmic weirdness happens when you get freakin' drunk.

If you're looking to keep anything you own, don't let the Prince near it.

Yeah, you better stay out of his way, too.

Look at the King. Just flying around without a care in the world while his son has to clean up his messes. Methinks it's time for a change in ruler.

Dear God, is nothing safe from the Prince's big sticky ball?! He's got SKYSCRAPERS in it!

Is that a rainbow? How did the Prince get a rainbow in that thing?!

I bet that when the Prince was flying with his father there, he wasn't thinking "I'm going to have to do this eight more times, aren't I?"

Well, despite my jokes, this game looks rather fun. It looks like a nice relaxing way to kill some time. It also looks incredibly unique and just plain old enjoyable. I hope there's more levels and stuff like that added, and it's not just a mere graphical improvement like Star Fox 64 DS was. I hope there's a demo...

Text Play: Pokemon Mega Adventure #16

Welcome back to the Akiba Region! That's right, it's entry number 16 in my Text Play of Pokémon Mega Adventure!

I did it. I finally did it! I DID IT! I BEAT CELESTIAL! YES! I AM FEELING SO REVITALIZED RIGHT NOW! WHOO-HOO!

Man, I was so happy! My Primarina, and a lucky critical hit on Celestial's Mega Aerodactyl, ended up winning the battle! However, I didn't have a ton of time to celebrate. Afterwards, I got a mysterious call...in my head. I am not insane.

I got called by...well...this Pokémon. This is Latios, one of the legendaries of Gen III. Latios has informed me that Team Prime is attacking Descent Village. I'm guessing that's where the Descent Tower that Celestial was blabbering about is. You know, Celestial. THE MAN I FINALLY CLOBBERED. Evidently Rayquaza, the mascot of Pokémon Emerald, is there. And he's Team Prime's target. You can guess where this is going from here. Prime wants to use Rayquaza's power to take over the world. ...does Rayquaza chill out here when he's not wreaking havoc in Sinnoh?

Latios watched me give Celestial AN EPIC BEATDOWN and figured, "Hey, this guy could kick their butts", and asked me to take care of it. Red said he'll be there to back me up, as soon as he finishes helping Brendan out. Latios takes me to Descent Village. I got to ride a Legendary Pokémon. I love this game.

When we arrive, Latios informs me that Latios is helping Ash protect a place called the "Dragon Ascent Ground". I'm guessing that's where Rayquaza is slumbering or something. Latios tells me he'll join me for this. Hey, that's actually pretty neat. Teaming up with a Legendary to take on Team Prime? That's great! Latios would be very helpful...but I need to make some space for him on my team. I hope Descent Village has a Pokémon Center, because my team also took a beating fighting Celestial. THE FIGHT I WON.

I ran into a wild Pidgeot at the Descent Path, and discovered my Pokémon were all healed up. Awesome. I arrived at Descent Village, and found it occupied by Team Prime. One of the trainers on the Path was an Aroma Lady. After I defeated her Pokémon, she called me rude. What's the deal, lady? You challenged me to a battle!

Despite that, I was able to get to the Pokémon Center and make a space in my team for Latios. Once I went back to get him, I got a Latiosite. And he's at Level 50. He's going to be a big help here, I just know it! Descent Village is a rather small place, which...does make sense. It is a village, after all. It does have a Pokémon Center, but it lacks a Poke Mart.

I think that I can guess this is why the Pokémon Centers and Poke Marts were merged into one building. Much more convenient for small places like this. Heck, you could do this for story reasons. Show that Descent Village is too small for separate buildings, so a small Mart was started in the Pokémon Center. It can just stock basic stuff, like Poké Balls and Potions. That would be fine. Outside the Descent Village is the Descent Ground.

I found a Full Restore hidden among the trucks. And there's Team Prime members everywhere. I think they're training all their Pokémon.  Now, remember in the last entry when Celestial, THE GUY I FINALLY CLOBBERED, said that Team Prime was occupying the Descent Tower? Well, you'd think they'd have a bunch of grunts guarding the place. makes sense, right? They're a bunch of Team Prime grunts with their Pokémon in front of it. Turns out, they're just having some fun and chilling out. We got a wild Gabite defending the place.

Yeah. Team Prime are a bunch of lazy bums! They got all those grunts goofing off, and they leave the wild Pokémon to guard the place. That Gabite is wild! What would it care?! Anyway, I caught it. Maybe when I get a Ditto somehow, I can breed it for Gible. God, a Gabite would have been so helpful against Volkner. I defeated one at the Power Plant, but I didn't realize that you could catch it. Aw well, I got one now. The Descent Tower is supposed to be occupied by some powerful Pokémon. Is it an abandoned building that the Pokémon have taken over or something?

Anyway, when I get inside, the entrance is guarded by a wild Fraxure and Druddigon. They're both Dragon-type Pokémon, and it wasn't too hard to capture them. I can breed them like I did for that Gabite I also caught. I think I may have encountered a Pokémon Breeder in the past. Anyway, the building's ground floor is swarmed with Team Prime members. They are all over the place, standing in formation. I bet Beyoncé is popular among this bunch.

There's this old man defending the tower. I can't help but wonder about him. Does he own the tower? Does he feed the Pokémon here? Would explain why wild ones guard the tower.  I defeated the Team Prime grunt guarding he stairs to the first floor, and he mentions that "Mr. Squash" will be angry with him. I get the feeling this "Mr. Squash" was the mastermind.

I went up to the first floor, and got spotted by a Team Prime member. And hoo boy, she's got one powerful Pokémon. I'm going to need to do some more grinding. So, back to the Descent Path I go. The grinding actually wasn't so bad here. Next time, I'm cleaning this tower out! Man, Team Prime really love taking over towers, don't they?

Pokémon Obtained:
Descent Path
- Hawlucha
- Flabebe

Descent Ground
- Gabite

Descent Tower
- Fraxure
- Druddigon.

Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 (March 1986)

Well...this is it. After one whole year, we're finally at the end of the miniseries that would redefine the DC Universe for decades. Every month this year, I've examined an issue of this miniseries, much like I did with the 1980s Squadron Supreme mini-series last year. Over the last year, we've seen triumph and tragedy. We've seen old heroes fall, and new heroes rise. We saw the heroes of the DCU stand up to what was undoubtedly the most horrific evil we have ever seen...and seemingly triumphed, but not with great cost. But there's still some unfinished business the heroes have to take care of. The Anti-Monitor will not stay down, and now...it's the final battle. The one for all the marbles. Let's take a look at Crisis on Infinite Earths #12!

The cover is...well, it's awesome. It's one of my personal favorite covers of the entire mini-series. It shows exactly what you're getting, the heroes in their biggest battle ever. A perfect metaphor for the entire miniseries.

"Final Crisis"
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: George Perez
Inker: Jerry Ordway
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Letterer: John Costanza
Editors: Len Wein, Robert Greenberger, Marv Wolfman
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with The Forgotten Heroes seeing something shocking. Brainiac's ship's monitor is focused on Earth, but the Earth is gone. They then find Brainiac himself in stasis.

Brainiac awakens and inquires why they are on his ship. Dolphin reminds him he helped then stop the Anti-Monitor, but the machine has no memory of this. Dolphin insists it's true, and they need his help again. Brainiac scans her and determines she is speaking the truth. He is perplexed as to why he has no memory of the Earth's vanishing. He deduces something altered his programming. Evidently, his ship must be recording things, as it provides him with the missing information. Brainiac himself lacks the power, but he can take them to someone who does. They head off. Where did the Earth end up? Well, in the antimatter universe, the Anti-Monitor looming over them in the form of a giant transparent head.

The Anti-Monitor goes on his villainous rant. During it, he remarks that the Earth-1 Flash is dead, which shocks Wally West, then Kid Flash. The sky goes completely black. The Supermen of Earths 1 and 2 look around and see people everywhere praying and panicking. It's hard for them to handle.

Harbinger appears, and tells the two Supermen the time has come to fight. They agree, and go with her. Harbinger also heads to Japan to grab Kimiyo Hoshi, the new Doctor Light. The normally arrogant scientist however, is feeling a bit guilty. She blames herself for Supergirl's death. This is especially tragic as keep in mind, one of the changes to the DCU's history was for Supergirl's Silver/Bronze Age career to be erased. However, that clearly has not set in yet. Anyway, Harbinger is able to reassure her by saying that Kara Zor-El was already dying from the injuries she received fighting the Anti-Monitor. His blast just ensured she wouldn't die painfully. How does Harbinger know that?

She's able to convince Dr. Light to help by reminding her that Supergirl sacrificed her life to stop the Anti-Monitor, and it would be a disrespect to her memory to give up now. Dr. Light is convinced, and goes with the mysterious woman. The darkness seems to be unending and impenetrable. But then...it cracks. The crack widens...the crack grows...and then...it breaks!

The darkness was Shadow Demons. Millions of them, and they're all over the world. Heroes all over the world try to fight off the monsters. B'wana Beast in Africa. Sunburst and Rising Sun in Japan. Red Star in Russia. Godiva and Jack O'Lantern in Ireland. Thunder and Lightning in Vietnam. Geo-Force in Markovia. Green Flame and the Lieutenant Marvels in Brazil.

Elsewhere, Doctor Mist was summoned by the Phantom Stranger so they can call upon the power of the comatose Spectre, and use that power to save the world. Harbinger has a bunch of heroes gathered together. Basically, they're going to engage the Anti-Monitor while the sorcerers of the DCU try to stop the Shadow Demons' rampage. Alexander Luthor opens a portal to the anti-matter universe, and he heroes go through. Deadman notices someone racing into the portal at super-speed. He hopes it was friendly.

Meanwhile, out in space, Brainiac's ship arrives at an odd planet that can only be described as a Hell of sorts, firepits blazing and misery everywhere. Welcome to Apokolips. And its ruler, the ever-diabolical Darkseid, is there to meet them.

"Welcome, mortals. Are you here to deliver that comfy chair I ordered?"

In New York City, some heroes are trying to get civilians to safety. Among them are Hank and Don Hall, aka the original Hawk and Dove. Don "Dove" Hall notices a scared child in a building and gets the child out. Hawk spots a Shadow Demon about to ambush his brother. Hank tries to warn his brother, but the Demon is able to kill Dove.

In Salem, a group of sorcerers try a ritual, the nexus being Doctor Occult with his Symbol of the Seven, and Alan Scott (the original Green Lantern) with his lantern. The heroes arrive in the anti-matter universe, and discover Kid Flash has joined them. Barry Allen was more than an uncle to Wally West. He was a mentor and friend. And he wants to know for sure if he's dead or not. The heroes spot the Scarlet Speedster being knocked around time as a result of his fatal run. Wally zips off, intent on following the after-image. And it leads him to a sight that confirms his worst fear.

Clearly driven mad, the Psycho-Pirate tries to pull Barry's empty Flash costume out of some rubble, desperately screaming for Flash to save him. A heartbroken and angry Wally gives Psycho-Pirate a Mighty Punch. Lady Quark finds the ring that Barry used to keep his uniform in. However, Wally has no time to mourn at the moment. Pariah has sensed a great concentrated evil, and it's right nearby. It's right behind them!

"BOO, MUTHATRUCKAS!"

In Atlantis, Aquaman, Mera, and Lori Lemaris are fighting the Shadow Demons underwater. Lori's got a laser cannon that hurts the dark creatures, but a demon is able to get her. The fighting continues on all over the world. In Chicago, the Earth-2 Green Arrow gets killed and the Peacemaker gets injured. Cyborg, Wildcat, Son of Vulcan, and Vigilante in Philadelphia. Shade, the Changing Man witness the death of Prince Ra-Man in New Orleans. Warlord in Skartaris. Gotham City sees the demons kill the Matt Hagen Clayface and the Bug-Eyed Bandit.

In New York City, Kole spots the Earth-2 Robin trying to tend to an injured Huntress, with Shadow Demons about to attack. She creates a crystal barrier in an attempt to protect them, but the Shadow Demons easily go through, killing the three heroes. However, the efforts of the mystics of the DCU pay off in a big way. Their power causes the Shadow Demons to be all gathered together, and driven off Earth.

In the antimatter universe, the heroes have engaged the Anti-Monitor in the hopes they'll be able to distract him long enough for the mystics to do their thing. Harbinger discovers that the Anti-Monitor is feeding upon a particular star for power. The star is a binary star, so Dr. Light has to absorb the power of the other star. She's nervous about doing it, but gets to work. Alexander Luthor also tries to drain the Anti-Monitor's antimatter energies. It clearly has an effect, but it's not much. The Anti-Monitor will not shut up.

The Negative Woman wraps her energy body around the Anti-Monitor, and the heroes blast at him. Then Dr. Light gives him a star-powered laser beam right to the chest.

The attack manages to bring the big monster down. Thanks to all the power he absorbed from the Anti-Monitor, Alex Luthor is able to create a giant portal back to the matter universe. However, he can't hold it for long. The heroes head for it, when they notice the Shadow Demons heading towards the planetoid the Anti-Monitor's body is buried under, like they're being summoned. Uh oh...

The Anti-Monitor just won't die. He awakens, having absorbed the Shadow Demons to re-empower himself. He fires a massive energy blast, seemingly vaporizing the Earth-1 Wonder Woman. Firestorm gets Kid Flash and the Psycho-Pirate back to the DCU. Kal-El and Lady Quark stay they'll stay behind to try and stop the Anti-Monitor. However, the Earth-2 Superman knocks them out. He'll stay behind, as someone has to stop the Anti-Monitor, and he's got no place on the new Earth. He tells Superboy-Prime to get them back to Earth and stay there.

The Anti-Monitor starts to feel immense pain. It turns out the sorcerers knew that the antimatter antagonist would reabsorb his demons, so they changed the demons so they'd essentially poison the monsterous being. Superboy-Prime is almost at the portal, but hesitates. Like Kal-L, what's there on this Earth for him? His home is gone, too. He feels there's nothing on that new Earth for him as well, so he tosses Kal-L and Lady Quark through the portal. Alex Luthor then feels a strange surge of power as he watches Kal-L fight a weakened Anti-Monitor.

What was that surge? It's Darkseid. He uses New God technology to essentially "hack" into Alex Luthor, as the redhead is a conduit between universes. Kal-L smashes a pair of giant asteroids into the Anti-Monitor, sending the monster flying two million miles into an asteroid. He then slams another giant asteroid right on the Anti-Monitor, seemingly killing him. He goes to check on Superboy-Prime. But then...

The Anti-Monitor. Just. Won't. Die. He blasts Kal-L and Prime, grabs them, and squeezes them in his anti-matter grip. Alex Luthor is helpless to do anything...but Darkseid disagrees. Using New God science, he sends powerful beams of energy through Alex's eyes to blast the Anti-Monitor. The screaming monster is sent into a star. The Forgotten Heroes thank Darkseid, but he tells them to leave Apokolips, as they will be enemies next they meet. Alex tells Kal-L and Prime that he may be able to create a portal out of the anti-matter universe, but not to Earth. But then...

THE ANTI-MONITOR. JUST. WON'T. DIE. Kal-L flies up and gives the mother of all Mighty Punches to the fiery being, FINALLY killing the antimatter anatagonist.

It's rather appropriate that Kal-L be the one to lay the final blow on the Anti-Monitor. Remember, according to DC canon at the time, the Earth-2 Superman was the very same character that first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938). He was the superhero that kicked off the superhero genre. The one that started it all. The mightiest hero of them all. So, only right he gets to be the one that took down DC's greatest villain. The Mighty Punch sends the Anti-Monitor...well, what's left of him, tumbling back into the star. The star starts to implode, the shockwaves destroying everything they touch. Kal-L and Superboy-Prime, believing that there's no escape, are content to let the shock waves destroy them too.

However, there is a way out. Alex Luthor can open up a portal to another world, and there's someone there waiting for Kal-L.

It's the Earth-2 Lois Lane, the love of Kal's life. Alex managed to save her from being erased like the Multiverse was. Luthor can take them to a world that is a paradise. Kal is okay with this, as he is with Lois. Superboy-Prime agrees to come along as, well, nowhere else to go. The four vanish as the anti-matter universe is consumed.

Harbinger ties up a few things while standing in some snowy mountains. The Earth-One Wonder Woman wasn't vaporized, she was somehow reverted to clay. Time was reversed, and the Amazons were returned to the Grecian isles they originally fled. I think this was done to set up the Potter/Perez/Wein reboot. As for Earth-2 counterpart? Well, Mount Olympus took her and her husband in. With the Crisis finally over, the dead are mourned (sadly, some of the dead would ultimately be forgotten, despite Harbinger's statement), new heroes rose, and in one case, a significant mantle was taken up.

Wally West is cured of the superspeed-related illness he was dealing with in the Titans' book at the time thanks to his being blasted by the Anti-Monitor, at the cost of his top speed being only Mach 1. He puts on Barry's old suit and announces the Flash will run again.

The Great Disaster was averted. The young boy in Command D will be found by a man named Horatio Tomorrow of the Planeteers. The boy's new name? Thomas. Western anti-hero Jonah Hex finds himself in a war-torn post-apocalyptic future, which was setting up a new series he'd get at the time. The Guardians of the Universe still remain ruptured, and there's little hope they'll recover. Lady Quark and Pariah are planning to explore this new world, and they want Harbinger to come along. After all, she's got nothing better to do now. She agrees, as life is all about moving forward. She's also feeling a bit optimistic, as the future ahead seems bright.

In an epilogue, the story ends with...Arkham Asylum. The Psycho-Pirate is residing there. The doctors note that he keeps raving and rambling about a Multiverse or some other nonsense like that. Heh. Multiverse. What a crock. Clearly the man had been reading too much Michael Moorcock. The story ends with him ranting that he prefers the past, as the future can be unpredictable. After all, as he said himself, you never know who's going to die...and who is going to live.

This comic...was incredible. An epic ending to a miniseries that changed the DC cosmos forever. The Anti-Monitor proves to be one of the most formidable and toughest threats the heroes of the former multiverse have ever faced. This story was epic in scope, that covered the entirety of the DC Universe, touching every major point from the dawn of to the end of time. One of the purposes of Crisis was to celebrate DC's long history, and I say it does that pretty well.

I do want to talk to the aftermath for a moment. First of all, there is one thing we have to make clear here. I myself have been guilty of doing this, but Crisis on Infinite Earths...is not a reboot. At least, not in the strictest sense of the word. "Reboot" basically means the complete discarding of previous canon in favor of a fresh start. Crisis was not meant to be a reboot of the DC Universe. It was not meant to start the DCU over again. The DCU was meant to go on, just with some alterations to the history of it.

However, DC tried to have their cake and eat it too when it came to its history. It allowed some characters to restart their adventures over again most notably Superman and Wonder Woman. However, it allowed some characters' storylines to go on as if nothing happened, like Batman and Green Lantern.

The changes DC made to its history in the wake of Crisis would also affect some characters badly. The erasure of Superman's history as Superboy would badly wreck the Legion of Super-Heroes' history, as they were heavily tied in with Superboy. Because Earth-2 now never existed and DC wanted Superman to be the only surviving Kryptonian, poor Power Girl was given an unpopular new origin tying her to Arion, and she went through some crazy stuff. And because DC decided to reboot Wonder Woman's history, Donna Troy had to be given a new origin. And then another one. And another one. I could write a whole separate blog entry on the changes done to certain characters' histories due to Crisis.

Were there follow-ups to this story? Well, yes. In 1994, DC released the mini-series Zero Hour: Crisis in Time. It wasn't really a sequel to Crisis, but it did attempt to further fix some of the continuity bugs Crisis's alteration to history caused. It still did cause more problems, especially for Hawkman. Poor, poor Hawkman. Despite this, Zero Hour was not really a sequel, and it was received poorly.

However, in 2005, in honor of Crisis's 20th anniversary, the story would get an actual sequel: Infinite Crisis. This storyline would see the return of Kal-L, Earth-Two Lois Lane, Alex Luthor, and Superboy-Prime. Like Crisis and Zero Hour, it would make more alterations to DC's fictional history, like restoring Superman's career as Superboy (in a way), and Wonder Woman's status as a founder of the Justice League.

In 2008, DC put out Final Crisis, focusing on Darkseid taking over the Earth. This was described as the final part of the "Crisis Trilogy", despite that neither CoIE nor Infinite Crisis were meant to be part of a trilogy, and Final Crisis didn't directly follow up on the events of either.

Finally, in 2015, DC released Convergence, which celebrated CoIE's 30th anniversary. The evil Brainiac has captured various cities from across various worlds and incarnations of the old Mutliverse. This storyline had the effect of undoing the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, restoring the classic DC Multiverse.

Crisis on Infinite Earths left behind one incredible legacy. I don't really know what I can say about it that no one else has said already. It redefined the DC Universe for a new generation of readers. It was one of the few stories that truly lived up to the promise of nothing being the same ever again. It's an incredible story. I do consider it a must-read, but I think it's a bit of a heavy read. Having knowledge of the old Multiverse only helps. However, I did read it before I ever became knowledgeable of the old Multiverse, and I didn't really feel that lost. This story had triumph, tragedy, action, and heroes being epic. It is credited with ending the Bronze Age of Comics. It helped start the modern "event comic" and it's stood the test of time as being one of the best.

I hope you enjoyed this rather long blog entry capping off this year-long review. Thank you for reading, and supporting it. Next time, the best there is at what he does will be paying a visit to the blog. That's right. Wolverine is coming, and somebody is going to get some claws! As for what big 12-issue mini I'm going to tackle next year, well...let's just say...that's a Secret...