Countdown 33: Let’s Make a Deal

Spoiler alert for those reading Sinestro Corps War

Another day, another catch-up review of Countdown – at this rate I’ll be caught back up by week’s end. This issue is a bit of a problem, not because of the story, but because of the potential spoiler for those following the tale of Kyle Rayner. I can’t spoil it all in the first paragraph! For that answer, you’ll have to take the jump.

Challengers from Beyond: Last issue, the bug queen was getting the ol’ heave-ho into another dimension. Like any good villain, Buggie grabbed Donna Troy and pulled her in too. Unfortunately Bob is still recovering from the effects of Buggie’s spell and can’t do anything, and Jason and Ryan are pretty much lame ducks when it comes to understanding how to mount a rescue, which means it is up to the cavalry to save the day.

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Oh yeah, right. It was already spoiled on the cover.

So here we have Kyle Rayner who appears to be free of the Parallax symbiote, and who doesn’t seem to be suffering any ill effects from the Sinestro Corps War (SCW). This kind of spoils the big story going on over there doesn’t it? One would think someone at the company would have caught this potential problem and either upped the release dates of the SCW issues or resolved Kyle’s fate before the events of Green Lantern #26 (as indicated by the Editor’s Note in All New Atom #15).

A quick flick of the green light wielding wrist and Kyle is able to pull Donna back from the abyss. Since Bob already knows Kyle is marked for execution, it is suggested Kyle join the team in the search for Ray Palmer. As one member joins the team, another member is yanked from the Palmerverse by a big giant hand.

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To find out what the hell is going on with Ryan Choi, you now have permission to read All New Atom #15, which was released last week, and totally threw the continuity of this storyline out of whack. Again, one would think the big mucky-mucks would have realized the problem created by releasing the Atom issue a week early and would have delayed it. It’s not like DC titles aren’t being released late left and right at this point. Has the company just given up? It sure seems like it.

This issue also kicks off the uncomfortable love triangle between Kyle, Donna, and Jason (ha! And you thought I was going to say a love triangle between Kyle, Jason, and Bob). While Donna and Kyle have had a romantic relationship before, I’m really surprised Jason thinks he has a “claim” on Donna. There’s no doubt in my mind that this O.C. moment is going to have repercussions before the Final Crisis plays out.

Piper and Trickster: Flash is just too good of a guy to off his friends, and when Piper and Trickster plea for their lives claiming Deathstroke implanted bombs in their necks, Flash uses his super-vibration to pull out the explosives and free them.

Of course Flash doesn’t completely trust that they had nothing to do Bart Allen’s death, so he leaves them shackled together for now. He also thinks the bumbling duo should come to a safe place and radios Zatanna to transport all of them to the wedding location.

At some point I really need to sit down and try to develop a coherent timeline of when the events of post 52 happen as it seems all the big events are falling right on top of one another. For example it seems just days ago Bart Allen died, and the next day the Amazon’s Attacked, and the day after that a wedding is happening. I used to think living in a world of real superheroes would be a pretty cool thing, but worrying about these Earth shattering events happening so often is enough to drive one to suicide.

Wally tells the duo to stay put in the hotel room, but as soon as Wally zaps out, Trickster thinks they are being set up for another mind wipe and quickly sucker punches Piper and heads for the door.

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Oops. This can’t be good. Didn’t we see this guy a few issues back protecting Zee’s house?

Jimmy Olsen: Having ruined John Henry Irons brain scan system, Jimmy is heading home, and notices he’s being followed. While a little paranoia is a good thing, if they really are out to get you then there isn’t much you can do about it – especially when your wonder powers don’t activate unless you are really in danger.

Turns out Mickey Cannon and his goons from Cadmus Labs are the ones tracking Jimmy down, and offer the full services of the lab to try and figure out what is going on with young James.

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I get a really bad feeling that somehow word has gotten out that Jimmy has the secret to life, the universe, and everything looked in his noggin’ and we’re going to see a lot of “scientists” trying to get the Anti-Life equation.

With Cadmus making an appearance, the DNAgentsDNAliens can’t be far behind, which would be another tie to the New Gods story. I’m also concerned that with all the cloning Cadmus has done in the past, and general ties with not good guys (Lex Luthor for example), this is not going to turn out well for Jimmy.

Mary Marvel: I hate to say it, but this story goes absolutely no where this week, and turns out to be a waste of space. Klarion trapped Mary in the bubble for no other reason to bug the vendors in the market place. Mary gets a little testy, and causes most of the people/beings in the square to flee. Klarion tells Mary that he’ll help her out if she gives him a small fraction of her power. Wait, wasn’t that implied last issue? This whole scene could have been skipped in order to flesh out one of the other stories.

The Good

• Cadmus
• More up the skirt shots of Mary (or is this supposed to be a bad thing? I forget if I’m supposed to be PC or not)
• Flash believing in his friends
• Zatanna’s security system
• MINDWIPE!

The Bad

• Mary Marvel story is total waste of space this issue
• A strange love triangle develops
• Klarion the Witchboy

Reading List

• Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #133
• The All New Atom #15

As disappointed as I was over issue #34, this installment is actually much better. Granted the Kyle Rayner portion of the issue potentially spoils everything happening in Sinestro Corps War (although one could argue the Parallax threat was ended in this week’s Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Parallax). Still the smart and funny movement in the Flash/Piper Trickster plot did improve the issue quite a bit, and I like that Cadmus is getting into the picture, what with whole Jack Kirby/New Gods thing. I’m not pointing fingers or playing favorites, but I didn’t look to see who co-wrote this week’s installment until writing the review. I honestly think DC has found a treasure in Adam Beechen, and the one two combo of Dini and Beechen earn Countdown #33 a solid 4 out of 5 Stars.

Parting Shot
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