Infinite Crisis #1

Having been away from the DC universe for a while, I wasn't sure what was going on for most of the story (since it had already begun in the lead-up mini-series), nor could I tell which version of the heroes was from which reality. Somehow, though, that didn't really take away from the story. I admit to have not read Crisis on Infinite Earths yet, which is something I hope to rectify sooner or later (though it's been on my list for some time), but I have read Zero Hour - which probably doesn't matter too much with this story. I did not know that the lazy Superboy with the black shirt is the same being as the cloned Superboy way back from the Death of Superman/Reign of the Supermen days ... the last time I was sort of aware of what was going on in the DC Universe. Admittedly, DC does not always seem to be that enticing, in that it seems like they keep destroying and rebooting their universe(s) every couple of years, which is not impressive for a reader who prefers continuity over "fresh and new." Sadly, Marvel seems to be doing the same thing these days as well (though they've been doing that regularly since the '90s as well). As for this story, which is really more for the die-hard fans than casual fans, since it's all about brief moments of characters you are already supposed to know alluding to key moments you are likewise also supposed to know - even so, it was still an enjoyable read. The brief quiet moments of emotion still made the right impact, even though I wasn't always aware of their full significance. I'm sure it is even more meaningful for the more-than-casual fans. The general message of being true to oneself and fighting for Justice is obviously a good one, even if it is hard to take in the retconning, rebooting, and forget-the-past-it's-new-or-forgotten era of comics in which we are today. It's nice to see Dick Grayson is basically the moral center of the DC Universe (in contrast to Frank Miller's DKR version of the future DCU). The art is crazily full - splashes galore and no unused corner. The rare quiet, empty panels are welcome reliefs, even if they are usually accompanied by sorrowful moments. Each panel is stuffed with characters, action, and space ships - it's hard to believe in the bonus conversation in the back of the TPB the creative teams wanted <i>more</i> action sequences! This is a good read for casual fans, but not a great place to start for one's first experience with DC comics. For the big DC fan (most of whom have probably already read it), you will certainly enjoy this a great deal.