This is it! The final issue of Convergence is here! Will it answer all of our questions? Will it set up a new status quo for the DCU? Will the Multiverse return? Will it be any good?
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
CONVERGENCE #8
Writer: Jeff King and Scott Lobdell
Artist: Stephen Segovia, Carlo Pagulayan, Eduardo Pansica, Ethan Van Sciver
Inker: Jason Paz, Scott Hanna, Trevor Scott, Stephen Segovia, Ethan Van Sciver
Letterer: Travis Lanahm
Editor: Marie Javins
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Previously in Convergence: With the incursion event in full swing, and the heroes of the various timelines and Earths fighting Deimos, things looked rather dire.
RETURN OF THE MULTIVERSE
So… all of the Earths now exist. What was “fixed” during Crisis on Infinite Earths, Countdown, Zero Hour, and the like has all been undone and all of the Earths are fair game going forward.
“How is this possible?” you scream to the heavens wondering what the heck DC is thinking.
Parallax. Last issue, Hal screwed everything when he killed Deimos, but fortunately, he is willing to try and fix the problem and be the hero he became at the end of Final Night.
From the writing side of the issue, Convergence #8 it isn’t the strongest we’ve seen in the series (last issue was better), but King and Lobdell gives us a look at every reality bending event to happen in the DCU in the last 30 years though the origin/backstory of Ultimate Brainiac, who now regrets what he has done.
The most interesting line in this issue comes from Telos, who says “Maybe the end is what it takes to see your mistakes.” Is this a weird meta comment by DC trying to plead mea culpa for 30 years of janked up continuity corrections and meddling to change the multiverse to a single universe? That is how I read it, and in the process, it gives this reviewer some hope going forward. Of course a few pages later, New 52 Superman tells New 52 Supergirl that they have to have hope that everything is going to be okay going forward. While Grant Morrison is great at making meta comments to the reader, Lobdell and King do a good job of hitting us over the head with lines that reflect the fears of the readers and the recognition from the publisher.
Brainiac sends Parallax, Superman, Barry Allen, Supergirl, and Lois and her baby boy back to the original Crisis to prevent the multiverse from collapsing. The heroes do it in an off panel story that I’m sure we will see at some point down the line. All the Earths in the Multiverse have been saved. All are back, and available for future storytelling. Of course the events of Convergence will have an effect on these worlds (i.e. other writers tweaking those worlds to meet their needs), but as I have been wishing for since the end of 52 the Multiverse is back and ready to bring back readers in droves.
TOO MANY ARTISTS
The art is okay in this issue, but like previous issues that employed an army of artists, this issue have some visual jumpiness when the style jumps from one artist to another. Fortunately, this happens most notably when jumping from realities and universes, so some forgiveness is in order. However, seeing so many artists on this series makes me wonder how much of the art changes were planned, and how much was rushed.
BOTTOM LINE: INTERESTING
I can’t say that Convergence is the best universe altering event to come out of the former offices of DC Comics. It is interesting, and only became that way in the final two issues as the multiverse started to reform. While many are going to be happy that the Multiverse is back, I think there are going to be more than a few who are wondering why the Earth-2 destruction even had to happen, as the final pages of this issue sort of returns things to the status quo as New Earth-2 is back, along with Dick Grayson’s son and many of those we thought were destroyed when Earth-2 blinked out at the end of Endgame.
The Good
- The return of the Multiverse
- DC correcting past mistakes
- Everyone gets a happy ending
The Bad
- Just about everything else in this event.
If you buy one comic out of this entire Convergence event, this is the issue to grab.
While this event is over, DC Comics now has to make good on their promise and start telling really good stories that will bring back old readers, and continue to pull in new.
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9 Comments
So…basically Parallax implements his plan from Zero Hour?!?
We don’t know, because we don’t see it on panel. He wants to, but everyone tells him no.
So, business as usual then? Because every time they try to limit the number of alternate timelines, something else always comes along and says otherwise.
I wish they would stop making declarations one way or the other. Go ahead and destroy a few corners of the Multiverse, but just stop saying “Well, now there is only X number” because it only ever sticks for like a month before something comes along and says otherwise.
I’m ok with this, especially since it doesn’t negate the fantastic work Morrison did with Multiversity and will allow him to play in that sandbox again if he wishes. I feel bad for the people who read (me) and bought (thank god not me) World’s End only to have it be meaningless 2 months later. The problem isn’t the number of Earths/universes, its when they try to make stories tie to one another. Just tell you story and let it be. That could solve a lot of problems.
I completely agree with Stephen in that this whole thing only got any good on the last 2 issues (which makes the previous 6 kind of irrelevant). I’m glad that the Multiverse is back, and there are some interesting stories in the line up (Donna Troy is back!). I just hope they don’t give us another “crisis” in a long time.. unfortunately, that thing with Darkseid and the Anti Monitor already seems to be going on that direction.
Wait… the multiverse has been back since 52 (the weekly series). They’ve been doing Earth-One and Earth-2 books for a couple of year now. What’s so different?
I’ve read the issue twice, and… I’m not sure?
That is a very, very good question…
Frankly, I was a little pissed when I picked up the book (I skipped everything but the last issue, because the actual story in this series was terrible) and it ended with the two splash pages of the reinstituted multiverse. My first response was, “that’s it”? I thought the multiverse had been around since 52, like you said. And then I realized what was up: they’re using the multiverse as a catch-all excuse to make stupid changes.
The New 52 sucks. It’s filled with unnecessary changes to characters and bizarre continuity issues– in a lot of fundamental ways, it is broken. But the publishers obviously see the criticism they’ve been receiving from the Internet as fanboy whining, i.e. “I miss MY version of Superman!” So their attempt to placate the complainers is to reestablish an infinite multiverse, rather than simply by fixing the New 52. That way, if anyone complains that this Superman isn’t acting in character or isn’t “the real” Superman, DC can simply point out that he’s one of a multitude of different Men of Steel, so we shouldn’t take whatever weird alterations they make to him too seriously.
That’s my thoughts on it, anyway. IMO, Convergence has been the most pointless, boring crossover event DC has ever published… and that is SAYING something.
I actually really enjoyed both Worlds End and this series in general. It was fun and interesting to see so many sandbox toys thrown together that normally wouldn’t be.