Review: DC All In Special #1

Review: DC All In Special #1
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson
Art: Daniel Sampere, Dan Mora and Wes Craig
Colors: Alejandro Sanchez, Tamra Bonvillain and Mike Spicer
Letters: Steve Wands

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

After the events of Absolute Power, the Justice League reconfigures and encounters Darkseid who has just completed a unique journey of his own.

Positives

The art on DC All In Special #1 is delicious.  Daniel Sampere has been doing a wonderful job on Wonder Woman (despite the unbelievable bad story-a waste of his art) so it’s no surprise that his work on this issue is outstanding.  He illustrates the “Alpha” side of this flip book style issue.  It tells the story of the reforming Justice League and he makes every single character stand out.  It’s simply an iconic approach to super-hero comics.

The “flipped” issue features Wes Craig delineating Darkseid’s story on the “Omega” side.  Craig’s style features a little Kirbyishness which obviously fits Darkseid extremely well.  Mike Spicer’s colors stand out, too.  While the art styles are different, they fit the POV of each side of the issue perfectly.  Craig seems like he was born to draw Darkseid.

Positives Cont’d

Overall, DC All In Special #1 is a really, really, really enjoyable comic.  It’s executed very well as an entertaining reading experience.  The Justice League story works because Booster Gold is the main character.  We get a balanced Booster that isn’t all Bwa ha ha.  He’s almost to where he was post 52 the weekly series with his ongoing series as a fixer of time anomalies.  All In utilizes the thematic development of Booster and attempts to build on in fairly successfully.  Booster is a stronger draw than the dilution approach to the Justice League that basically invites everyone.  

Darkseid’s story on the flip side is equally interesting.  It’s got surprises, huge entertainment value and a real understanding of Darkseid’s character.  Perhaps the most surprising aspects are the classic Legion of Super-Heroes references.  There’s a panel I swear is from The Great Darkness Saga ( the real one, not that Bendis bait and switch crap) with Superboy and Supergirl punching him.  And, not a spoiler, but the machine he makes to help him get his wish is straight out of Legion lore.  Finally, Darkseid has one more Legion surprise up his sleeve on the last page of the issue, BOTH ways you read it.

Negatives

The main reason for DC All In Special #1 is to set up what comes next, the world after Absolute Power that requires everyone to be available for the Justice League and as an entry point to the Absolute Universe.  This issue doesn’t really succeed on either of these points.

There’s no reason to dilute the Justice League by putting everyone on the team.  It’s like a participation award.  The idea doesn’t feel “Justice League,” just a random team up book.  This may echo the approach to the animated series of the same name, but it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to try that approach in the comics.  Is everyone Justice League material?  It doesn’t really create a draw.  Perhaps the fallout problems from Absolute Power is the draw…but, it’s not.  

The introduction to the Absolute Universe doesn’t really do enough to explain what this world will be like.  If anything, what we get in this special makes it appear that it’s a world in Darkseid’s image with his omega symbols all over the place, but there’s nothing in Absolute Batman #1 that gives the reader that sense.  This introduction also makes it seem like whatever is going on in the Absolute Universe titles is constructed as a cohesive story leading to one BIG crossover- another EVENT.  If anything, that’s a reason NOT to buy into the Absolute Universe emotionally or monetarily.

Verdict

Like its design as a flipbook to be read in both directions, DC All In Special #1 is a real dichotomy of execution.  As a stand alone comic, it’s great.  If you read it, you’ll enjoy the content that’s there and the art and storytelling are excellent from all sides.  It’s even going to be worth reading a few times to catch all the references.  The other side, though doesn’t really do the job of grabbing the reader for what comes next in Justice League Unlimited or the Absolute Universe titles.  Certainly the spectre of ANOTHER event is enough to dissuade readers from becoming too attached to what’s going on.