The Death of the New Gods #7 of 8

I guess with "Death" in the title one would come to expect a bit of carnage in the series and the penultimate issue of "The Death of the New Gods" takes out a few more New God favorites. I'm pretty numb to death in the DCU these days what with it being utilized at every turn as a major plot point. I started this series with relatively little knowledge of the New Gods except for what I picked up from the various appearances of Darkseid and Miracle Man. So, with the big revelation this issue I was pretty much thinking "who?" when it happened. I wasn't shocked or surprised...just baffled. I had no idea who this was and, therefore, it wasn't an "oh, wow" moment for me. Maybe if I was a big Jack Kirby Fourth World fan it would have been. Who knows? Writer Jim Starlin continues to whittle down the remaining Fourth World Gods and we are left basically with Darkseid all glowing and fiery ready to do battle with the universal yin/yang thing.

I'll hold judgement until the final issue. However, Starlin has done what DC editorial asked him to do. He's wiped out the New Gods, but the story along the way has been a frustrating read.

The Death of the New Gods #6 of 8

I know that the title of this book is "The Death of the New Gods" but I'm tired of death in the DCU. "Countdown to Final Crisis" has really numbed me to any deaths so much so that the big death in this issue didn't affect me that much. Writer Jim Starlin does a fine job of characterization on both Superman and Orion and I like his Metron a lot as well. The grief that Mister Miracle is dealing with is also handled well in this issue. Starlin really stepped up the art here having fun showing both Orion and Superman flexing and posing. However, the big reveal at the end had me scratching my head and shrugging. I think if the character presented as the bad guy had been developed a bit more during the series or if I had a PhD in the Fourth World I may have been shocked. As it was, I just didn't really care much.

I haven't been that big a fan of the Fourth World characters with exception of Mister Miracle during the Giffen "Justice League" days. This miniseries along with "Countdown to Final Crisis" comes across as DC cleaning house. You throw in "Salvation Run" and you have three miniseries dealing with whacking various DC characters. I hope "Final Crisis" isn't about that. I've had enough of death as a story device. It can be done well but across the board in DC it has gotten a bit gratuitous.

The Death of the New Gods #5 of 8

I missed picking this issue up last week and realized it when I got home. Luckily, I got it this week. As of issue #4 I had figured that writer Jim Starlin would be keeping the killer a mystery, but it seems that was not to be. What was becoming a good detective story took a right turn this issue with big ramifications for Final Crisis. If all is at it seems, this is the one true Countdown tie-in that you should be reading. Even more than the weekly title, this issue looks to impact Final Crisis the most. Metron's conversation with the New God killer is the most interesting part of this issue with Superman's battle with Kalibak and dealings with Scott Free a close second. Starlin has put together a solid miniseries so far and I'm starting to get into it. Starlin's art is good except for his version of Superman. The New Gods look great but his Superman comes across very stiff and awkward looking.

Even if you missed the first four issues, it looks like you might want to pick up the later half of this series as a good primer for Final Crisis.

The Death of the New Gods #4 of 8

I think I got it in this issue. This is a detective story...a "who dunit" if you will. Superman is on hand to show that this is connected to the rest of the DCU and to act as our view into the New Gods' world. This was the best issue of the miniseries. The plot is moved forward at a good pace and the interludes to Metron, Darkseid, et al. provided good information on where this story is headed.

I've made it halfway through and will stick it out for the rest, but this might be best purchased as a TPB.

The Death of the New Gods #3 of 8

I'm still not seeing the impact to the DCU if the New Gods are dying off. I get that they have a stake in it but I don't see how this fits into the overarching "Countdown to Final Crisis" storyline. Some hints are dropped but it hasn't added up to much yet. Having said that, I'm starting to get into the story here. I like Jim Starlin's characterization of Darkseid, Mister Miracle, and Orion. This issue turns the corner and makes the characters interesting and moves the story forward quite rapidly. Besides a few awkward renditions of Superman, Starlins art is outstanding in this issue. He does a fantastic job of capturing the power of Kirby's Fourth World creations. I like his page layouts as he continuously keeps in interesting while supporting the story.

If you are not a fan of Kirby's Fourth World creations, then this miniseries doesn't have much to offer. However, if you have enjoyed Starlin's past work, you might like what he is doing here. At this point this series does not seem critical or required reading for the "Countdown" enthusiast.

The Death of the New Gods #1 & #2 of 8

Before reviewing the initial chapter of this miniseries I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of Jack Kirby's New Gods/Fourth World. Kirby started on these when I was very young and I never got into them. Of course, over the years, I have been entertained by Darkseid's use throughout the DCU as well as Mister Miracle and Big Barda's JLA runs. In an interview writer and penciller Jim Starlin stated that this was a "mercy killing" because of DC's abuse of Kirby's Fourth World creations over the years. Starlin wanted to honor Jack Kirby's creations while killing them off. I decided to pick this up as a tie-in to what is going on in "Countdown". With the death of Lightray and the continuing issues with Jimmy Olsen, I figured this series would tie up that whole plot line.

Issue #1 is basically a recap issue brining the reader up to speed on what is going on with the New Gods. It has Darkseid pontificating and bringing in reinforcements to protect Apokolips. I guess Starlin was hoping this issue would provide a good starting point for those truly unfamiliar with the New Gods. It succeeded to a point, but there are some many names thrown I got lost at points. I know the big name New Gods but the lesser ones really don't ring a bell. Sometimes I can't even tell if they are good or bad gods. Anyway, the issue ends with Starlin catching us up on the whereabouts of Mister Miracle and Big Barda. The final splash page isn't much of a shocker given the title of the miniseries.

Issue #2 starts off on New Gensis with Orion and a gaggle of New Gods contemplating what is happening here. Starlin then gives as CSI: JLA and a brooding Scott Free (Mister Miracle). I will have to look up what is up with the "Anti Life Equation" because as I said above I'm not up on all things Fourth World. Anyway, Scott Free has knowledge of the ALE and contemplates using it. Flash to New Gensis and Orion and Superman go through the motions in a battle of "honor" while on Apokolips Darkseid gets down to business. Starlin does a decent job of moving the plot forward but the battle between Superman and Orion goes on for too many pages. The side comments by Mister Miracle do make me believe that Starlin was making fun of the cliche element here.

Starlin's art is good but not his best work. Some of the poses are awkward and I can't tell if he is doing a homage to Kirby or not. If he is, then I get the art and he gets a pass.

While "The Sinestro Corps War" sets up a cosmic, galaxy spanning story that threatens the entire universe, "The Death of the New Gods" is truly just about that - the death of Kirby's Fourth World. Two issues in and I don't see the impact the New Gods living or dying has on the rest of the universe. Starlin has yet to make me care whether they live or die. The only two characters that I would care about living or dying are Darkseid and Scott Free. The others really have no real bearing or value in the DCU.