COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #26: First off, someone needs to smack that logo around a bit, because it sure looks like "Countdown to Anal Crisis" to me! This issue is exposition-heavy, but at least makes it seem like something has been going on all of this time. Too bad the previous 25 issues weren't anywhere near this engaging.

But I have a question -- if, in fact, the very act of travelling between worlds causes stress on the Source Wall, which will eventually destroy the multiverse, then isn't "The Bad Monitor" just as culpable as anyone he's chasing around? Further, where are these "Town Halls" taking place? Aren't these 51 other Monitors stressing the Source Wall just as much every time they get together? Isn't this their third or fourth meeting at this point?

Plus, look at that splash page again -- I count WAY more than 51 Monitors in that room; even giving some allowance to Mickey Mouse Ears and two-headed Monitors, there are still at least 63 figures, by my count...

Anyway: its got nowhere to go but up, but still we're sadly AWFUL.

COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: LORD HAVOK AND THE EXTREMISTS #1: Well, almost worth it for Liam Sharpe drawing monstrous and hulking figures, but who really gives a fart for Marvel analogues, where the villains won? It just smells like Cash In to me, and was pretty AWFUL

COUNTDOWN TO ADVENTURE #3: I guess the lead Lady Styx returns story is OK-ish, but I'm not very sympathetic to any of these characterizations (I mean, seriously, Buddy maybe being in live with Kory? Really?!?); the Forerunner story where she goes to the Justice League of Magicians world is an interesting scenario, but it basically rendered uninteresting because of how quickly they kick her ass (not much of a badass eh?), and how dull of a antagonist "Dark Angel" is. EH, overall.

COUNTDOWN TO MYSTERY #2: Quite liked the Dr. Fate portion, but the Eclipso stuff was pretty terrible. A very low EH on that one.

This deluge of COUNTDOWN stuff really working against the books, I think.

What did YOU think?

-B