Comic Book Review: Countdown #33

Countdown continues to underachieve. The past several issues have gotten progressively weaker and weaker. I’m stunned that this title has been such an average read. Maybe I was crazy for thinking that Countdown would come close to matching the excitement of 52. It has become painfully obvious that Countdown is no 52. While Dini is the master of the one-shot, he has not demonstrated that same talent when it comes to a title like Countdown. Maybe Countdown #33 will turn the tide and give us a good read. Let’s hit this review.

Creative Team
Writers: Paul Dini & Adam Beechen
Penciler: Carlos Magno
Inker: Jay Leisten

Art Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 5.5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with the Rogues howling in pain and asking the Flash to save them. That Deathstroke placed explosive chips in their necks and that they are about to blow up. Flash vibrates his hands through their necks and pulls out the explosive chips. The Flash runs far away and throws the chips over water and they explode harmlessly in the air.

Flash races back to the Rogues and tells them that the explosive chips make the Flash believe their story about Deathstroke and their claims that they had nothing to do with Bart’s death. However, Flash still doesn’t trust them. The Rogues claim that they don’t know the specifics of Deathstroke’s plans.

Flash contacts Zatanna and tells her to teleport him and the two Rogues to “the place.” The Rogues are terrified that they are going to get mind wiped.

We cut to the Nanoverse where Belthera pulls Donna into a portal to another dimension. “Bob” the Monitor breaks free from Belthera’s control, but is too weak to save Donna. Suddenly, Kyle Rayner appears on the scene. Kyle uses his power ring to fish Donna back out of the portal and saves her.

Kyle then tells the other heroes that he was sent here by the Guardians to tell them that the Guardians know what they are up to and that Ray Palmer was here, but now he is gone. Ray has gone into the Multiverse.

We slide over to Mary Marvel in a magical sphere created by Klarion. The sphere protects Mary from a magical attack of one of the merchants of Chung Ling Soo Square who complains that Mary approached his stall uninvited.

Klarion’s sphere dissipates after the merchant’s attack is over. Mary then picks up the merchant and is about to punch him out when Klarion tells Mary that the merchant will not trouble them anymore.

Mary lets go of the merchant. Klarion then says that for saving Mary’s life she should pay him back by giving him just the tiniest, barest, most insignificant fraction of her power.

We cut to Jimmy Olsen running through the streets of Metropolis and being chased by several mysterious blue sedans. The sedans corner Jimmy and out of the sedans pop Mickey Cannon, director of Cadmus Labs and some Cadmus security agents. Mickey Cannon tells Jimmy that they want to offer Jimmy the full use of their resources and facilities. That they were tailing Jimmy in hopes of seeing his powers manifest themselves.

We shift to Flash, Trickster and Piper suddenly appearing inside of a guest room in Zatanna’s mansion. Flash tells the Rogues to shut up and that the JLA no longer mind wipes people. Flash refuses to free the two Rogues from the shackle that binds them together. Flash tells the Rogues to stay put while he investigates their claims. Flash then gets Zatanna to teleport him out of the guest room.

Trickster wants to make an escape while Piper wants to stay where they are since they are for once finally somewhere safe. Trickster punches out Piper and makes for the door of the room. Trickster opens the door and a pissed off mummy with a sword attacks him.

We hop back to our team of heroes in the Nanoverse. Donna asks Jason if he is okay with Kyle joining their team. Jason blows off Donna saying that he has no problem with Kyle. That he just wants to do the job of finding Ray.

Suddenly, a giant hand reaches down from the sky and grabs Ryan Choi. The hand along with Ryan then disappear in a flash of light. Kyle wants to go try and find Ryan. Jason says that they need to forget Ryan and carry on their mission. That Ryan is the Atom, but not the Atom that they are looking for. “Bob” the Monitor agrees and says that Ryan’s part in the quest is over and his destiny is his own. The heroes then take off from the Nanoverse. End of story.

We then get a two page back-up story on the origin of The Riddler. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Countdown #33 was yet another average read. The strength of this title remains the team of Trickster and Piper. These two characters continue to steal the show in every issue that they appear. The two Rogues have such wonderful chemistry and always get me to chuckle at their bickering and hard luck. Trickster and Piper continue to be practically the only characters that are getting much character development and that display the most unique personalities.

And it is fun watching how these two loveable losers somehow manage to get themselves into progressively stickier situations. It certainly should be interesting how they try and get out of Zatanna’s magical mansion. With a pissed off sword wielding mummy and an unconscious Piper attached to his wrist, there is no doubt that Trickster has his hands full.

I liked the introduction of Kyle Rayner into the “Search for Ray Palmer” plotline. Kyle’s addition to the team immediately creates plenty of tension between him and Jason. It is obvious that Jason has strong feelings for Donna and the idea of having the ex-boyfriend join the team doesn’t sit well with our ex-Robin.

I actually think that Dini has something interesting going on between Jason and Donna. I love the idea of them as a couple. First, it is a strange pairing since Jason is a maladjusted psycho anti-hero and Donna is your traditional stand-up super hero. Second, it would create wonderful tension within the Titans community. There is no love lost between Jason Todd and the other two Robins in Tim Drake and Dick Grayson. Tim and Dick would certainly be beside themselves with the thought of Donna being involved with Jason.

Personally, I’m glad that Ryan Choi is off the team searching for Ray Palmer. I could care less if we ever saw this new version of the Atom again. Bring on Ray Palmer, baby. Of course, we all know that in the end, I’m going to be the chump since Dan Didio is only bringing back Ray to kill him off and firmly supplant Ryan as the new Atom despite the crappy sales numbers that the new Atom is posting.

The Jimmy Olsen scene was interesting now that Cadmus is getting involved in the mix. I like this plot direction and it should certainly lead to plenty of drama. Jimmy has been unable to get the help or support from his super hero friends like Superman and the Justice League of America. Will Cadmus finally give Jimmy the answers he so desperately seeks? And what exactly does Cadmus have to profit from helping Jimmy? Nobody does anything out of the kindness of their heart.

The Bad: Countdown #33 was decidedly average. We continue to get very ordinary dialogue. It isn’t terrible, but it certainly isn’t anything great. Outside of the Trickster and Piper, all the characters talk in pretty much the same voice.

Countdown’s various plotlines continue to creep along at a painfully slow pace. Seriously, soap operas move at a blistering pace compared to this title. And the plotting continues to betray the fact that these plotlines are clearly not designed for a 52 issue weekly title. I’m amazed that Dini has been able to stretch these thin plotlines for this long.

The biggest problem with Countdown is that this is supposed to be a big special event, yet at no point when reading this title do you feel like you are reading anything special. The reader gets the feeling that he is reading just another run of the mill comic book. That is not the feeling you want to elicit in the reader with the title designed to be the big lead-in to the Final Crisis.

The Mary Marvel scene was boring. And this has been a plotline that I have really enjoyed since the beginning of Countdown. I could care less about Klarion. And the injection of the annoying witch boy into this plotline has done nothing to make this plotline a better read. Also, the Mary Marvel plotline went from the plotline with the fastest pacing to one of the slowest plotlines on Countdown. Seriously, this plotline has come to a screeching halt and has lost a lot of momentum.

I wasn’t all that impressed with the artwork in this issue. Countdown #33 had a rough and rushed look to it. The overall look gave this issue a dark and muddy appearance.

Overall: Countdown #33 was another ordinary read. This title continues to be a serious let down after the incredibly well done 52. I can only hope that Dini can somehow bring all these plotlines together and deliver an exciting climax that leads into the Final Crisis. I still recommend waiting for the trade paperback for this title.