THE COUNTDOWN RUNDOWN: WEEK 47 - BRICKS IN THE WALL

The Players

James Olsen/Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen
Mary Batson/Mary Marvel/Black Mary
Teth Adam/Black Adam
Holly Robinson/Catwoman
James Jesse/The Trickster
Hartley Rathaway/The Pied Piper
The Monitors

Issue 47

This issue opens with Jimmy Olsen again, in the midst of a vision/nightmare, looking a lot like Lightray of the New Gods. He is glowing and apparently has become part of the Source Wall, the ancient edifice prominent in Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga that is made up of fallen gods and warriors and binds the universe. With so much New Gods action in Countdown so far, its more than a little ominous that Jimmy is having visions of that great barrier to the unknown. Interesting to note is the appearance of one of the alien Dominators who are playing a prominent role in current issues of the Legion of Super-Heroes book.

Next up, we return to Earth (or at least one of the 52 Earths) for a very brief encounter with Holly Robinson, friend of and former replacement Catwoman/Selina Kyle. Holly shows up in Metropolis and a newspaper article reveals that she is wanted for the killing of a police officer in Gotham. While we here at Rundown HQ know little about current goings on in Catwoman, head writer Paul Dini has said that Holly will play a major role in Countdown. Originally introduced in Frank Miller's classic Batman: Year One, Holly Robinson has always been an intriguing character and in the hands of such a well-versed Batman writer as Dini, her inclusion here holds great promise.

The issue briefly touches on Flash's Rogues (again partying!), and while the story of the Trickster and Pied Piper has, so far, been the slowest to develop, the characterization of these villains (or sort-of villains in the case of the Trickster and Piper) has been spot-on. Not since Geoff Johns' run on Flash have the Rogues been as interesting or as unique. Another promising storyline that looks like it's just about ready to bare bitter fruit.

The remainder of the book focused on two major developments. First, the Monitors (led on by the exterminator of Joker's Daughter) make a major decision - the eradication of all multiverse anomalies. Since the ones they seem most concerned with - Donna Troy and Jason Todd - are at the top of the list, it looks like times are about to get very dicey for the former Titans. The final page of this issue also throws Countdown smack into the middle of the Amazons Attack event (more on that next week!)

Finally, let's address Mary Marvel. Picking up from last issue, we find Black Adam questioning Mary's purpose and her innocence. The villain turned hero turned walking tragedy turned mass murderer is clearly at his most desperate and darkest hour.

Without readers knowing how, Black Adam is back in full possession of his powers, but confesses to Mary that he doesn't want them; that they have been nothing to him, if not a curse. Mary - whether in desperation or foolish bravado - clearly desires that power, and Adam is more than happy to impart it to her.

The twist comes, however, when Adam gives all of his power to Mary, transforming the young hero into a more mature, more menacing and a lot less innocent version of what can only be called, Black Mary. Sporting a new outfit akin to Black Adam's, Mary looks devastating in the black miniskirt and high-booted outfit. While word on the internet is split on this "seduction of the innocent" development, it seems that one thing can be agreed upon: this is a Mary Marvel that the DCU has never seen before.

Mary's story has developed the fastest in Countdown, and since we are only five mere weeks into the year-long ride of this title, the future looks bright for fans of the Marvel Family. As we spoke last week about The Question, we have to address the complaints about Mary's changes in the same way: when was the last time you read a really good Mary Marvel story? You may not like the transformation of Mary Marvel to Black Mary, but besides Jeff Smith's The Monster Society of Evil (a modern classic in the making, by the way!), Rundown HQ would say these have the best Mary Marvel appearances the DCU has ever had. Not since Fawcett Comics' The Marvel Family has Mary been portrayed so prominently, or so strongly.



To be fair to the other side of the argument, however, here are some comments by Jerry Ordway, writer of the excellent 1990s DC title, The Power of Shazam on the darkening of Mary Marvel from the Comicbook Resources Blog, Comics Should Be Good.

With all this focus on the character, next week The Countdown Rundown will feature a History of Mary Marvel alongside the weekly column - be here for the first of a series of articles focusing on the stars of Countdown, then come back on Friday for Countdown: Week 46 - a Forerunner of adventures to come!

THE COUNTDOWN RUNDOWN: WEEK 49-STRETCHING THE TRUTH

The Players:
James "Jimmy" Olson/Superman's Pal
The Monitors
Roy Harper/Red Arrow
Val Armorr/Karate Kid
Flash's Rogues/The Rogues
Mary Batson/Mary Marvel
Teth Adam/Black Adam
(*those not linked have been linked in previous columns)

ISSUE 49

In deference to the Star Wars 30th Anniversary Celebration this weekend, we here at Countdown Rundown HQ held off on posting, hence the late column.

Moving on, Issue 50 left us with a cliffhanger ending of Jimmy Olsen about to be made into a tasty treat for Gotham's Killer Croc a/k/a Waylon Jones. This issue opens fresh from that spot, and amazingly, Jimmy saves himself through the use of one of his latent metahuman abilities not seen since the Silver Age of comics - Elastic Lad!

Throughout the Silver Age, Jimmy had multiple transformations in his many adventures as Superman's Pal. These incarnations of his powers/mutations haven't been seen in years and the recent appearance of his stretching powers have led to much speculation as to Countdown's location - in this new 52 universe Multiverse, are we following stories on the traditional DCUniverse New Earth or one of its many variations? An answer yet to be revealed!

While this week's issue again touched upon the various story-lines following Karate Kid, The Monitors, and the Rogues' Piper and Trickster, the other major development (besides Jimmy's amazing escape!) was part of Mary Marvel's continuing journey to locate the other Marvel's (her brother Billy Batson and friend Freddy Freeman) and her missing powers.

Despite Madame Xanadu's warnings to Mary for her to stay out of Gotham - where magic is completely whack! - Mary was in that urban nightmare landscape, running through its back alleys from a trio of muggers. She finds refuge in an abandoned building, only to find that it's not so abandoned.

Among the many mangled corpses Mary finds there, are the statues of the Seven Sins - the very evils that the Wizard Shazam chose Captain Marvel to be his champion against! And among this sprawl of evil incarnate, Mary runs into none other than . . . Black Adam!

Missing since the end of World War III, and the finale of 52, the leader of the now-deceased Black Marvel family is the most wanted man in the world. Is it possible that he could simple be preying on those he deems evil in Gotham? Without the Batman knowing? Or again, is this some alternate Earth?

Again, the conclusion of this week's issue ends with a cliffhanger - Mary at Adam's mercy - something that DC's 52 couldn't do throughout its year-long run do to the nature of its "real time" story. As episodic as any primetime TV show, Countdown is proving just as addicting.

The final section of Issue 49 also followed suit with 52 in that it began a multi-part back-up story written and drawn by Dan Jurgens (artist of the upcoming Booster Gold series) that promises to tell the History of the Multiverse. Where 52 told the tale of the History of the DCU, from Superman's first appearance through the Crisis on Infinite Earths and beyond, up to the Infinite Crisis that resulted in New Earth,
so too will the back-up in Countdown tell the history of the Multiverse. From its discovery by Barry Allen and Jay Garrick - the Flashes of Earths 1 and 2 respectively - up to the dawn of the new Multiverse that was birthed at the end of 52.

Universe building at its finest! Next week - Countdown Issue 48: Enter Lightray! (or is that "Exit"?!)