The Final Night #3 (1996)

The Final Night #3 (November, 1996)
"Keeping Hope Alive"
Writer - Karl Kesel
Penciller - Stuart Immonen
Inker - Jose Marzan, Jr.
Colorist - Patricia Mulvihill
Letterer - Gaspar
Assistant Editor - Ali Morales
Editor - Dan Thorsland
Cover Price: $1.95

Now... look at that cover.  I thought it was Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, and Green Lantern flying away from an exploding planet or something.

Upon closer inspection... those black bits are actually... body bags (!) being carried off by emergency responders.  Ay yai yai... that got pretty dark.

Anyhoo, today we discussing the penultimate part of The Final Ni-- whattayamean, this isn't the second-to-last chapter?  Hmm...

--

We open with Guy Gardner and the new Ferro carrying an injured Wildcat into Warrior's Bar, which has been modified into an ad-hoc shelter, command center, and hospital.  It looks like we might've missed some stuff in the tie-ins... but that's okay, we'll make it work.  Before the doctor can take a look at Wildcat, the power generators blink out.

Luckily, Legionnaire Spark is there... and she is able to jump-start Warrior's power generator.  While she pumps the power, she turns to Ferro and gives him an attaboy for helping rescue Dusk from the rioters.  She tosses him her Legion Flight Ring just in case he might be able to use it.  I was doing a bit of reading yesterday, and found out that Ferro Lad's death (back in the late 60's) was tied in with the Sun-Eater story running through Legion of Super-Heroes stories in Adventure Comics!  So, his appearance here has some nods to Legion history... which is really cool to me!

Anyhoo, their chat is interrupted by a special report from... Etrigan, live from Hell?  He claims (in almost perfect rhyme... c'mon "harm" and "warm"? I expect more from ya Etrigan!) that he and his brethren can save the Earth... for a price.  The Daily Planet responds in the way only they can... and we get another throwback to DC history, which tickles me.  At the same time, Lex Luthor is having a press conference about putting together biospheres capable of housing humanity, wildlife, and plant life... and is coming across like a real bad-ass.  Totally brash and confident... and you can tell that he loves that he's got this room full of folks in the palm of his hand.

When a question is posed regarding the temperature level of the Earth's core, we shift to a meeting between Gaea and... the Spectre.  We learn that the Spectre is keeping the Earth warm... until he can be sure of what God's will is.  He's not going to allow the Earth to perish unless he's sure that's what the big guy wants.

We shift, briefly, to Opal City... where Ted Knight is observing the Sun-Eater in his telescope.  He stops for a moment to make an important call to S.T.A.R. Labs... it might be that his eyes are failing him, but he's almost sure the diameter of the Sun... is shrinking!

S.T.A.R. Labs corroborates Ted's tired eyes... and proceeds to tell the heroes (and Luthor) what's about to go down.  Ya see, the Sun ain't gonna go down without a fight... and what it's trying to do is heal itself.  This means it will eventually (though, within 24 hours) go hyper-nova... and turn the solar system to shiny flecks of dust.  Luthor, ever the bad-ass smirks and comments that "at least they don't have to worry about freezing to death".  Superman asks what "we" can do... and in light of Superman's lack of solar exposure, Luthor actually puts his hand on his shoulder and asks... "'We,' Kemo Sabe?"  Wow!

Meanwhile, Dusk is in her ship preparing to get outta dodge... likely to the next solar system that will be imperiled by the Sun-Eater.  Meet the new Pariah, same as the old Pariah.  She seems oddly contented that the Earthlings are about to go out in a blaze of gory glory... because of the riot, ya see.  Before she can jam, she is joined by the Phantom Stranger... who gives her the ol' It's a Wonderful Life treatment so she can see the brighter side of humanity... hope, love, resilience... all that stuff.

We pop over to that unnamed Spanish-speaking land that the Ray burnt himself out trying to keep heated and lit.  He's passed out in bed, and the town is soon visited by Zatanna and Fire.  Fire turns on the green flame, and plants one on Ray Sleeping Beauty style.  He wakes up, but can't do much to keep the town warm.  Zatanna then calls in Firestorm, who was trying to save the planet, but... c'mon Ronnie... there are a few dozen chilly folks in this little town who could really use your help.  And so, he turns on the heat... which might keep this town warm for another couple hours.  I get what they're trying to do here... but, really... this is quite an irresponsible use of all of their time and energy.  Firestorm's a powerful dude, who could really be of assistance on the "front lines".

tahw a etsaw fo s'mrotserif srewop !

Back to It's a Wonderful Dusk, where we watch Dusk and the Phantom Stranger... watch Sentinel (Alan Scott) reunite with his children, Jade and Obsidian... we also see the other heroes trying to keep the world shuffling along.  Dusk can see that even in the face of The Final Night, the heroes (and Earthlings) remain resilient... and hopeful for the future... that there will be a future!

After all of this, the Stranger drops Dusk in an alley... right by a torch-wielding gaggle of folks.  They see her, and rush over.  She braces for a beating... but that's not what they're there for.  The recognize her as Dusk, and ask if they can help her get to Warrior's. Aww.

Superman heads back to Smallville to check with his folks.  Pa is more annoyed that the crops are going to be ruined than anything else.  This really speaks a lot about him.  Either he's so sure his son will fix this mess that he's not worried about... ya know, the end of the world... or, he's trying to put up a brave front.  I'm leaning more toward the former.  I mean, by this point Superman's beaten everything... even death!  What's a little Sun-Eater to a guy like that?  Superman breaks the news that this might actually be... it.

We wrap up this chapter back at Warrior's... where Guy is trying to get drunk.  Unfortunately for him, his Vuldarian whoziwhatsits won't let him even get a bit of a buzz.  He walks past his trophy cases... and toasts to his old Green Lantern costume.  He's suddenly bathed in a green glow... and we are out!

--

Another really good issue!  We're still handling the "ground level" consequences of the Sun going out... which, I'm pleased about.  I'd much prefer this to spending four issues in nebulous outer space.

If we're looking for a theme... I'm going with "hope".  Let's break that down... starting with that little Spanish town.  Boy oh boy, like I said during the synopsis... I get what they're doing here.  We're getting quiet little scenes to help keep certain heroes busy, and show that this crisis is not just affecting Metropolis or Gotham City.  With that said... I still don't like it.  It just seems so irresponsible... and ignorant and dismissive of the skatey-eight thousand other tiny towns dotting the globe.  I mentioned yesterday that it was silly for The Ray to comment that the people in this town "didn't do anything wrong"... which, again... I get it... but it is dismissive of every other tiny town (and big city, for that matter).

I think heat and light powered characters need to be working with S.T.A.R. Labs during this crisis.  I mean, in the first issue, they combined their powers to create a decoy Sun for cryin' out loud!  Why couldn't they do something like that again?  That might just buy the Earth a few more hours.  Nah, instead they'll put on a little light show for a few dozen people.

Okay... with that out of the way, more hope!  Let's talk the Kents.  To Pa, this is just another day in the DC Universe.  Can't hold that against him... I mean, there's always something threatening the Earth... so, why would this be any worse?  I appreciate that he has so much faith in his son (and his amazing friends) that he's more annoyed that his crops are dying... than even processing that the world might be ending.

Dusk's magical mystery tour was... ehh.  It's another one of those things where... we get what they're doing... but, at this point, what does it matter?  Is Dusk going to "solve" the Sun-Eater?  Not likely.  If she wants to jam... let her go.  Does it matter to the Phantom Stranger that she thinks humanity is comprised of a bunch of jerks?  It shouldn't!  She wants off-planet?  Can we get a Daily Planet headline for her?

I gotta say, in reading this series I'm getting a whole new appreciation for Lex Luthor.  He's coming across as stone-cold, charismatic, and just flat-out awesome here.  He's got contingencies for just about every situation... and can speak with such a presence that he inspires (cautious) hope.  Like I said yesterday, it looks like his road to the White House has already started!

Overall, still really digging this story... though I gotta say, tomorrow we will... not be discussing The Final Night #4.  Swerve!

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The Final Night #2 (1996)

The Final Night #2 (November, 1996)
"Darker Grows the Night"
Writer - Karl Kesel
Penciller - Stuart Immonen
Inker - Jose Marzan, Jr.
Colorist - Patricia Mulvihill
Letterer - Gaspar
Assistant Editor - Ali Morales
Editor - Dan Thorsland
Cover Price: $1.95

Being a bit of an anxious sort... I often second (and third) guess how I'm going to present things.  When a comic has one title on the cover... and one inside the book... hoo boy, my internal needle pings straight to Woody Allen levels of neuroticism.  All four issues of The Final Night have two titles... I'm just going to use the one inside.  Whew.

Speaking of the cover... it's a great one!  Makes me think of 52 Week One.

--

We pick up with Jimmy Olsen delivering the expositional evening (well, it might be the evening... if you recall, there's no Sun!) news.  He's alerted by the WGBS Producers that there's another interesting story development in progress.  And so, he throws it to a news conference in Metropolis... where newlywed Lex Luthor returns to offer his company's resources toward defeating the Sun-Eater.  Superman arrives... and amid a blaze of popping flashbulbs, they shake hands.

We shift over to Oracle's Clock Tower in Gotham City, where information is positively pouring in.  I really dig the way this is depicted... it's not often we see Babs overwhelmed, but this is definitely getting to her.

Wonder Woman calls in to report a fire at the corner of Marston and Byrne (ha!).  She, along with Big Barda, The Ray, Captain Marvel Jr., and the Guardian find an odd array of folks.  There are people partying... while singing a particular REM song.  They're not responsible for the blaze though... that was the doing of a young boy named Billy... whose mother was cold, and so he attempted to build a fire.  Off to the side, The Ray is approached by a woman he'd saved... believing this to be the end of the world, she asks to be taken home to see her family one more time.

We shift over to the Louvre, where Vandal Savage is talking to the Mona Lisa.  He claims to have been responsible for the painting... he'd blackmailed both da Vinci and the model to get the job done, and being immortal... he might be telling the truth!  Off to the side, Batman is watching this whole monologue.

He approaches Savage about his pending art theft... and there's a brief tussle.  Well, not really... Savage just unloads a gun in his direction.  Batman counters with a well-aimed 'rang... and it's revealed that a sleepy Superman swept in and caught all of the bullets.  Without a Sun to draw from... his powers are waning!

Back in Metropolis, we see a fun 90's take on a Brainiac... 5/Lex Luthor team.  They (sorta) put their heads together and deduce that they need to launch a probe into the Sun-Eater.  This is a really great take on Lex.  He's smug as hell... and pretty much egging Brainy on.  Brainiac mutters about how primitive the tech is... and Lex is all "What was that?  Speak up, boy..." before dropping a whole lot of knowledge.  So good.

Now... to Opal City, where we join the original Starman Ted Knight listening to Rush Limbaugh.  He is surprised by the arrival of some of his old teammates, Flash, Liberty Belle, and Wildcat.  They ask if he's down to don the duds one more time.  He declines... preferring to continue monitoring the situation with his telescope.

We return to Metropolis where Luthor and Brainiac have launched their probe... in the form of Kyle Rayner.  As he approaches, Brainiac remarks that the Sun-Eater is a nearly perfect energy-siphon.  Luthor asks Lantern to continue his descent... they need to know both how deep it goes... and how much of the Sun (if any) is left.  He gets pretty deep, but has to retreat when the probe begins to overheat.  Saturn Girl scans... and reports that she lost Green Lantern.  Uh-oh.

We meet up with Dusk and Black Canary... and we learn that the former is a sorta self-imposed Pariah from Crisis on Infinite Earths.  She travels from world to world warning of the Sun-Eater's arrival.  Maybe she's auditioning to be the next herald of Galactus or something.

As they exit their craft... they find themselves surrounded by an angry mob!  Ya see, these scared Metropolitans blame Dusk for this present crisis... and decide they're going to take out their frustrations on her skull.  Riot control arrives, in the form of Flash, Nightwing, and Robin.  The mob ain't fighting fair... go figure... and it turns into quite the brouhaha.  In the foreground, we see a strange masked individual watching the mess unfold.  I thought for a moment it might be Wild Dog...

We rejoin Ray as he delivers that woman he helped save to her homeland.  Seeing them... he's overcome with empathy, and decides to bathe them in his light.  After all, they've done nothing wrong... as opposed to the rest of the Earth?  Oh well, at least his heart was in the right place.  He, of course, can't keep it up.

Back at the riot... we wrap up with that strange masked fella making their presence known... it's (um...) Ferro!

--

Really dug this.  Outside of the Luthor/Brainiac bits, the Sun-Eater wasn't even really mentioned.  This was a story of acceptance of a terrible situation, resilience, and outrage.  While this is a cosmic-level threat, this chapter was very much grounded.

Let's unpack some of the emotions we witnessed here... and start with perhaps the most extreme, the riot.  We have a mob of scared people... probably just one of many such mobs... who cannot focus their frustration on some amorphous thingamablob in the sky... and so, they direct their anger at the person who delivered the message.  (Attempting to) kill the messenger is a very human reaction... I guess that's why "Don't kill the messenger" became something we say.  While rioting in the face of a cosmic-level threat seems futile... we have to recognize that Anger is the second stage of grief according to Kubler-Ross.  We're going to see some more of those stages in play here.

Let's hop over to the Ray... and (sort of) Denial.  He delivers the Spanish-speaking woman back to her home, so she can be with her family for what might just be the end of the world.  The Ray decides he cannot let them die... and proceeds to burn himself out trying to keep them warm.  Refusing to accept the (at this point) inevitable.

Speaking of Acceptance... we've got Metropolitan civilians partying like it's the end of the world.  Whether they are truly accepting of their (at this point) fate... or just, I dunno... drunk as skunks, is up for discussion... but, I feel like if something like this were to happen in the real world, there would definitely be a contingent of folks who would immediately accept it... and just revel in as much decadence and hedonism as possible until it's all over.

Now... let's address that threat.

We get a really fun Lex Luthor here.  I love the disparity between the Lex that we know, and his public image.  I mean, here he's providing all of his resources to aid in saving the world.  How can a citizen of the DC Universe hate him?  Hell, he's even getting photo-ops shaking hands with Superman!  Such a great take on the character... it's actually understandable how he would be elected President of the United States four years later.

His team-up with Brainiac is also a great bit of fun.  There's contention... but there's also the realization that they need each other.  Luthor had the idea of the probe.. and Brainiac was able to tweak it to survive a visit to the Sun-Eater.  Really well done.

I should mention... the art looks a ton better here.  The pages (even this glossy stock that I hate) didn't seem nearly as muddy... perhaps that's a result of Patricia Mulvihill taking over as colorist, as that's the only creative difference here.

Overall... a great issue, focusing on real human emotion in a time of cosmic-level crisis.  Well worth checking out.

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The Final Night #1 (1996)

The Final Night #1 (November, 1996)
"Dusk"
Writer - Karl Kesel
Penciller - Stuart Immonen
Inker - Jose Marzan, Jr.
Colorist - Lee Loughridge
Letterer - Gaspar
Assistant Editor - Ali Morales
Editor - Dan Thorsland
Cover Price: $1.95

Been a little while since we covered an "event" book here at the ol' blog.  Let's take a look at a book that... I could've sworn I already read... multiple times, even!

Flipping through... yeah, I never read this.  Let's give it a go!

--

We open... it's (the final) day and the Sun shines over Metropolis.  For a brief moment, something crosses in front of the Sun... something one might mistake for a solar eclipse, "mistake" being the key word.  Ya see, this is actually a disc-shaped spacecraft... carrying a passenger with brings with her some dire news.  She is immediately met by Superman and some time-lost Legionnaires.

Exiting her ship, the woman points to the Sun and begins shouting in some sort of alien language.  While Superman (and the also-present Metropolis Special Crimes Unit) haven't the foggiest idea what she's going on about... luckily, the Legionnaire's flight rings have universal translators in 'em.  They deduce that she is speaking of something called "The Darkest Night"... and where/when they come from, that's just a "kid's story".

Superman makes it clear that he'd appreciate a translation (heck, so would I!)... and so, Saturn Girl utilizes her telepathy.  We learn that this strange visitor calls herself Dusk... and the news she brings with her relates to a being known as the Sun-Eater... which, one might imagine, might be on its way to, ya know... eat the Sun.

She continues... revealing that the Sun-Eater's arrival is only hours away, and there's no way of stopping it.  This is a really neat transition... we think she's just talking to Superman and the Legion, however, we've advanced in time a bit, and she's actually explaining this to the Who's Who of the DC Universe (Update: 1996)!

Superman introduces Kitty Faulkner from S.T.A.R. Labs, but she has little to offer in the way of new information... though she does corroborate Dusk's story, giving the Sun-Eater's ETA as less than six hours.

Dusk is adamant that the Sun-Eater is unstoppable... but, Big Barda ain't havin' it.  She figures Mister Miracle can just create a Boom Tube and send the thing packing... which sounds pretty reasonable for the DC Universe.  So reasonable in fact, that Superman gives the idea the "thumbs up"...

... with the caveat that they will also need a backup plan, just in case.  He pulls together a team of heroes that can generate heat and light, so they can try and pose as a decoy for the Sun-Eater.  Wonder Woman suggests getting the Spectre involved... which causes Guy Gardner to scoff (I knew I liked Guy!).  After all, the Spectre never gets involved... until it's almost too late.  Superman tells him to shaddup, and head to the roof to meet with Batman... who is organizing the "ground team" to deal with any potential riots and panic the Sun-Eater's arrival might cause.

We first follow the "Boom Tube" team led by Mister Miracle.  He is flanked by Captain Atom, Takion, Dr. Polaris, Cosmic Boy, and Maxima.  Upon arrival at the "intersection point", the group finds themselves in the presence of... the Sun-Eater!  Mother Box is ready...

Elsewhere, we meet up with the Phantom Stranger who is visiting with the Spectre in an apartment of a fella who has just threw himself out his window.  Okay...  Stranger asks Spectre to act... but, get this... he refuses.  He says that he's an agent of God... and if the big guy has decided that this the way it's supposed to end, far be it from him to impose his will over God.  Okay...

Back in space, the Boom Tube crew reappears... elsewhere... maybe elsewhen.  Ya see, Takion saw that the Boom Tube wasn't going to work... and in fact, was about to reach critical mass, and so, he shifted them "between seconds".

Good thing Superman thought of a Plan B!  Speaking of which... Superman and the heat 'n light patrol pour all of their energy into creating a second Sun as a decoy for the still-rapidly approaching Sun-Eater.

Whattayaknow... it works!  The Sun-Eater latches right onto the appetizer-sized Sunlet... and devours it.  This leaves the heat 'n light gang exhausted... and really, really cold.

Unfortunately, however... it doesn't stop the Sun-Eater from approaching its "main course".  The chapter ends with the Sun-Eater... Sun-Eating.

--

Well, that was a jam-packed opening chapter!

Like I mentioned in the preamble, I was sure that reading this would just be a refresher... I was positive I'd read this before.  After making my way through, I'm now almost positive that this is the first time I've read it!  It's always so weird when you have like "working knowledge" of stories you've never read.

I was pleased to see the story is wasting very little time in establishing the threat of the Sun-Eater.  I feel like, if this was released today... it would be twelve parts rather than four... and the Sun-Eater wouldn't show up until part eight.  The first seven issues would be... I dunno, the heroes fighting with each other for some reason or another... and the Joker would be on at least three covers regardless of whether or not he appears in the book.

Anyhoo, what I'm trying (rather poorly) to say... I was happy to see the Sun-Eater... Sun-Eating here.  This allows the rest of the story to focus on this temporary "new-normal" and the heroes rebounding... perhaps with a little help from an old friend.

Speaking of old friends... it's always nice to see these cross-sections of the DC Universe... so many fun characters, and a really neat swath of 1996 DC.  It was great that the characters broke into teams that made sense... even if their endeavors were ultimately futile.

I like the idea of using the Sun-Eater as a threat to begin with.  Not having a deep knowledge of Legion of Super-Heroes lore, I do know that the Sun-Eater was a threat for them during the Jim Shooter run in the 60's... and the Legion had to enlist the aid of some baddies to take it down (they would ultimately become the Fatal Five).  I also think it's cool that the time-lost Legionnaires refer to the Darkest Night as a sort of fairy tale from their era.

If I were to pick a nit... Stuart Immonen's art here really suffers on this awful glossy, shiny paper.  It just looks so muddy... and it really doesn't do his (early, looser) style any favors at all.  I've mentioned that it looks like you can dip your finger into books of this era, and literally swirl the inks and colors... and I stand by that.  This would have looked so much nicer on standard stock.

Overall... we're off to a great start, and I'm looking forward to giving it a proper read-through in its entirety.  This story has been collected in trade-paperback, and is available digitally.

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