Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #7
The final battle for the multiverse begins in Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #7, by writer Joshua Williamson, artists Daniel Sampere, Rafa Sandoval, Jack Herbert, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Cam Smith, colorists Alejandro Sánchez, Alex Guimarães, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Matt Herms, and Tom Napolitano. This book sticks the landing rather well, even if some fans might find it cliche.
As the heroes battle Deathstroke, powered by the darkness, Nightwing faces off against him in a battle of wills. As that’s happening, the heroes come up with a plan to stabilize the new multiverse with the help of the Flashes and Dr. Light. Black Adam attacks Deathstroke and shares his power with the heroes, allowing them to break the chains of the Great Darkness. Deathstroke himself is freed, leaving Nightwing to face off against the Great Darkness all by himself as a powerless Black Adam battles Deathstroke. In the end, the Flashes and Dr. Light stabilize the infinite multiverse, and Nightwing defeats the Great Darkness. In the aftermath, a whole new day dawns as heroes and villains prepare for a new multiverse and the threats out there… and on Earth.
Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths has been panned by fans and critics for a variety of reasons. The main reason seems to be that too many people are tired of the copycat events that DC keeps putting out. There’s something to this. Since 2005’s Infinite Crisis, this is the fifth or sixth event that presents a multiversal reset. It plays on older plot elements, bringing back Pariah and the Great Darkness, making Deathstroke a big deal, et cetera. DCOIE is a very DC event, and that’s going to color the way people look at it.
Williamson doesn’t reinvent the wheel with this event, but he wasn’t trying to. And that’s okay. For all the people that want some kind of new unprecedented DC event book, this isn’t it. However, it’s turned into a very good DC event book. It does everything it needs to do, and it focuses on a character that no other event has: Nightwing. Infinite Frontier has done a lot to put Nightwing on top of the DC Universe, and this book finishes that off. It works brilliantly. It is a little forgiving of Deathstroke, but it also shows an interesting part of the character: he realizes he’s terrible, and that’s perfect. A lot of people won’t like this comic for a variety of reasons, but that’s okay. It’s a very DC book, and it works brilliantly in that regard.
The art is amazing. Sampere does a terrific job. There are some awesome group shots, hard-hitting action, and stunning page layouts. There are a bunch of fill-in artists that jump onto the issue in the last pages, which makes sense. Sampere definitely needed a break, but he still does the majority of the book. The fill-in artists all do a phenomenal job, as do the colorists. Napolitano’s letters have been excellent throughout the comic, and this issue is no exception.
Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #7 sticks the landing. Much like the rest of this book, it’s not going to win over fans who aren’t already into it, but for fans who like it, it’s fantastic. It kicks off the new era of DC very well. The creative team does a tremendous job, with the art especially being good. Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths has been a great ride for DC fans, and this ending is wonderful.
