Event Fatigue

Not to crab, but I'm kind of wiped out right now. In the last week we saw one company's major event wrap up (kinda) and another company's start. Whew.

Not that I mind the Big Event, mind you. It's one of the reasons that drew me further into this kind of storytelling in the first place. I was only collecting a handful of Marvel comics when the first Secret Wars dropped, and that Big Event fully activated my geek gene. Soon after, the original Crisis came along, and then I had two universes to keep tabs on. I love the idea of a shared universe, and characters from different creative impulses or origins coming together and interacting (And this is not limited to comics, as my girlfriend can attest. She would watch me geek out over the old, semi-regular Law & Order/Homicide crossovers).

I just feel I need a breather, almost. Infinite Crisis, with it's preludes and buildups, has been going on for over a year (Longer if you count Identity Crisis) and the story tension kind of got rolled over into 52 and the miriad OYL series, so it's almost like it's not over. Civil War just started, and I'm checking that out (at least for a few issues, anyway).

Some brief thoughts:

Infinite Crisis 7- Kind of a mixed bag, for me. In terms of the Trinity, I felt that there was a nice resolution to their conflict. If you figure that they are the hub of the DC universe, then any changes one would want to effect on the universe as a whole would stem from them. Having them "gone" for a year is brilliant move, I believe. I know there will be bits of retcon here and there, but having them go on vacation is a great way to reinvent them without starting from scratch.

I feel a bit iffy about the resolutions regarding Alexander and Superboy Prime. I missed the Secret Files special, but I still feel the main series lacked any kind of depth on their end. I think as a reader, I was asked to fill in too much as far as their motivations. What perfect Earth was Alexander looking for, and why would villains taking over this Earth be an acceptable plan B? I'm not alone in thinking he was being manipulated himself, but in the end he was acting alone. I'm also uncomfortable with the idea of holding over Superboy Prime as some kind of boogeyman for future exploitation (interesting observation here on the logistics of keeping Superboy in lockdown).

52- Loved it. I never really cared much for Booster, though I always thought he had potential. He's a loser from the future, looking for fame and fortune in the believed certainty of the past. There's a great character arc for a writer willing to take him on that journey. Also glad to see the Question will be involved, as well as Ralph Dibny. Since Identity Crisis, I've been craving some kind of resolution for him.

Civil War- I didn't intend on buying this book. The Marvel universe has seemed so chaotic to me since the 90's that I'm rarely interested in picked up anything on a regular basis. Usually a writer I trust or pretty artwork will tempt me. I saw that Mark Millar was involved, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

It's an interesting premise. Many bits of current pop and news culture sprinkled in for that air of plausibilty: reality show featuring c-listers and has-beens, a Cindy Sheehan-like figure (though her son's name was Damien... Damien... does that strike anyone else as odd?) My favorite bit was the Secretary sharing that Cap bought lunch for the pilot he hijacked... I don't know if it's literal or anecdotal, but it doesn't matter, because it's both in a way. Cap's a living legend, and this detail nicely underscores that perception of his character.

I'll hang out a bit on this one, though I need to do some research... Ms. Marvel and Jessica Drew are back? And when did Bryan Deemer find his way into the Marvel universe?