Countdown to Mystery #1 of 8

While the first 20 or so issues of the weekly "Countdown" have not moved me to write a review, the spin off series have shown sparks of creativity. The most recent one that I have read is "Countdown to Mystery" which stars Dr. Fate in the primary story and Eclipso in the backup story. I have always been a Dr. Fate fan back to the 70s when I enjoyed the character as part of Earth-2's Justice Society of America. I have read many of his different incarnations but always preferred the Kent Nelson Dr. Fate the most. The premiere issue of "Countdown to Mystery" has the helmet of Dr. Fate finding a bum in a dumpster who happens to be failed psychiatrist, Dr. Kent Nelson. Writer Steve Gerber weaves an interesting tale giving Kent Nelson a suitably tortued background and catching all of us up on the happenings with the helmet of Dr. Fate over the past few years. I liked Justiniano's art and his interpreation of the new Dr. Fate. This is quite the setup issue for Dr. Fate and I'm looking forward to seeing where Gerber and company will take him.

The backup story by writer Matthew Sturges and art by Stephen Jorge Segovia involves Eclipso's return. I'm not sure I really care for the Jean Loring Eclipso. I do like her fight and attempted seduciton of Plastic Man. With the Spectre and Darkseid both making appearances, I drawn into Sturges' interpreation of Eclipso. Segovia's art was suitably dark and his versions of Plastic Man, Darkseid, and the Spectre showed a range of emotion and depth. Eclipso looks to play a large part in the final chapters of Coundown due to "The Seduction of the Innoncent" tagline and I'm ready to get the action moving.