Infinite Crisis Omnibus

Infinite Crisis (Collected Editions)

by Geoff Johns, Bill Willingham, Greg Rucka

OMAC robots are rampaging, magic is dying, villains are uniting, and a war is raging in space. And in the middle of it all, a critical moment has divided Earth's three greatest Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. It's the DCU's darkest day, and long-lost heroes from the past have returned to make things right in the universe...at any cost. Heroes will live, heroes will die, and the DCU will never be the same again! This omnibus Action Comics 826, 829, Adventures Of Superman 639, 642, Countdown To Infinite Crisis , Day Of Vengeance 1-6, Day Of Vengeance Infinite Crisis Special , JLA 115-119 , Infinite Crisis 1-6, Infinite Crisis Secret Files 2006, The OMAC Project 1-6, The OMAC Project Infinite Crisis Special , Rann-Thanagar War 1-6, The Rann-Thanagar Infinite Crisis Special, Superman 216, 219, Villains United 1-6, Villains United Infinite Crisis Special , Wonder Woman 219

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

1424 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2012

About the author

Geoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.

His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.

Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can get your hands on this backache inducing whopper of an omnibus, I think this is the best way to read this. It collects not only Infinite Crisis but the all the content leading up to it for the few preceding years. I would suggest reading Identity Crisis before starting on this epic journey.

Below is a link to my review for each individual trade. The issues in the omnibus are presented in chronological order so some of these miniseries may be presented interspersed other ones. For example, the Infinite Crisis Specials are printed in the midst of the Infinite Crisis miniseries so you can read each issue in the order they happened.

My Reviews
The OMAC Project
Superman:Sacrifice
Villains United
Day of Vengeance
Rann-Thanagar War
JLA, Vol. 18: Crisis of Conscience
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis Companion

[Joshlynn]

Holy fuck, this bitch is huge.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This epic crossover is the DC event with some of the best tie-in issues, making for a mostly consistent, enjoyable read. It starts like all big stories do, small, with a mystery/espionage story involving Brother I, the spy satellite that Batman creates in his paranoia, as well as the corruption of the Checkmate shadow organization. It then slowly grows and grows with each story touching a different part of the DC Comics Universe, from street level D-list villains, to a cosmic war between Thanagar, Rann, and Tamaran with huge ramifications, and a war for magic. It all culminates in what is arguably the best DC Crisis, and one of the best examples of how to do a huge superhero crossover.

Each tie-in and prelude is solid on it's own as a stand-alone story but somehow also becomes a necessary component to building up to the main event. The only other stories that are also very important to understanding the main story are: Identity Crisis, which is essential to read before the beginning of this book: and the grandaddy of all big events, Crisis On Infinite Earths Deluxe Edition. They probably should have also included Teen Titans/Outsiders: The Death and Return of Donna Troy and Adam Strange: Planet Heist to be fully complete.

This book encapsulates everything great about this era, arguably the best time in DC Comics, where Geoff. Johns was on a roll. With what Johns has to say about the state of superhero storytelling in the modern day, how it relates to the classic Golden and Silver Age stories, how it all ties into the vast history of Dc and the way he gives old characters new life and nuance, is something to behold.

I read the event before with Absolute Infinite Crisis (review here) and loved it, but rereading the entire event with all of the supplemental lead-up, is a completionist's wet-dream.

This massive tome includes all the material in these books:

[Wing Kee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun but exhausting read that highlights the reason I'm not a big fan of events.

This is my second time reading through Infinite Crisis, I liked it a lot when I first read it in 2005, but that was 10 years ago and I think my tastes have changed quite a bit. There are things here that I absolutely love (GL, nods to crisis on infinite earths...) but this event also highlights the reason that I generally don't read event books and their companions anymore:

World: I love it, this is DC at it's finest, the depth of characters the number of worlds and the call back to the multiverse is absolutely a DC fans dream. I like how Johns treats the history, instead of someone like Morrison. Johns accepts that readers have not read all 30 years of comics between crisis' and it's great. The world building is there, but there is a sure hand in letting the readers know enough about the world so that anyone can enjoy. However, having said that, there was a bit too much story and side companions for it's own good. Event books have this problem, while the main 7 issue arc is paced fine and works well alone, the world here is way to big because of the companions. I hate companion books as their rarely truly offer anything other than added spice and background to the tale. The world of DC is awesome and this event puts it on display, but a little bit too much in the end.

Story: While a wonderful stand-alone tale that harkens back to Crisis on Infinite Earths and the stories between it, it does not treat it's readers with contempt and snobbery like Grant Morrison books. Here, Johns takes time explaining the history and past events so that new readers know what is happening. I do think that having read recent comics before the event will make the read much more enjoyable as the trinity's fight will be much more powerful and their point of view much more understandable (especially Batman). However, much like most events, the story does suffer from 2 main things: 1) Too big of a cast, due to the huge number of companion tales resulting in a loss of momentum of main story to tell these pointless tales and 2) Lack of a true consequence (but most comic are like this...you can't really truly kill anyone big...for long). It's a fun read, but gets bogged down by the cast and the companion books.

Characters: Wonderful, this is one area that Johns excels in. The trinity are on full display here but the 4 (no spoilers) are wonderfully reintroduced and their characterizations are fun and meaningful. I don't want to say anything except that XXXXXXX Prime is fun in the most amazing way. Karen is also a stand-out and having read JSA for a while I love the focus on them.

It's a fun event, but like all events suffers from a cast that's too big to manage and an unreasonable amount of filler in order to sell books. This was the first of many event books that have pushed me away from event books entirely (Blackest Night and Final Crisis) being the other. It's fun, and 10 years later it's an enjoyable relaxing read, but nothing to make it super memorable.

Onward to the next book!

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is truly a fitting omnibus, weaving together the many storylines which all integrated into Infinite Crisis into a coherent whole. Oh, none of the rest is as good as the main event, but having it all in one place (and in order) so that you can choose to read through the whole event is wonderful. (Sadly, The Return of Donna Troy is obviously missing; it's not as major as the other four prequels, but it gets just enough attention in Infinite Crisis that you know there's a storyline that you're not seeing.)

Countdown to Infinite Crisis. What better way to begin a sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths than with a big one-shot that highlights Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, two of the core members of the JLI, one of the most memorable and unique comics to come out of the original Crisis?

And, Countdown is very much the intro to that sequel, Infinite Crisis. It's primarily a lead-in for The OMAC Project and Superman: Sacrifice, but it also touches upon the other two introductory series, Day of Vengeance and The Rann-Thangar War. Honestly, that makes it a lot less of its own book. It's primarily a setup that leads up to a single inciting event. Fortunately, the writing is sharp and interesting enough that it's an intriguing setup, and particularly today when you can read straight on to the rest of the story, you don't mind it's incomplete nature.

Of course one can't speak of Countdown without addressing the elephant in the room: the fan favorite character killed within and the other fan favorite character who was darkened irrevocably. In its day, that generated very angry responses from fans, in part because it sabotaged the JLI reunion that Keith Giffen was even then writing. Today? I think the uproar hardly matters. The characters are both back due to the total continuity f*** known as the Nu52, and who knows how all this fits any more. And honestly, people remember Infinite Crisis, not Giffen's short-lived JLI reunion. So, we can now enjoy this particular story without that drama. [4/5]

The OMAC Project. Of all the Infinite Crisis miniseries, The OMAC Project is the one that most obviously continues on from Countdown to Infinite Crisis. That means it's the continuing story of Max Lord, a regathered JLI, and the OMACs. These are all great elements, with the OMACs and Brother I (Eye) in particular being a strong addition to the modern-day DC universe. There's also some fun mystery and some good interactions between DC heroes.

However, The OMAC Project does have two flaws. First, the fact that Superman: Sacrifice goes right in the middle detracted from the classic collections of this book (though they did at least include Wonder Woman #219). Fortunately, the nice Infinite Crisis Omnibus resolves that. Second, after the cataclysmic events of Sacrifice, the story drags, having lost its human focus. Still, this is an intriguing and ground-breaking story. [4/5]

Superman: Sacrifice. Neatly sandwiched between The Omac Project #3 and #4, this is a crucial story beat in the Infinite Crisis plotline. Unfortunately, it's also quite dull.

The problem? Two issues of imaginary fighting against imaginary foes, followed by a reveal of what really happened and then a fight between Superman and Wonder Woman. All told, there's about an issue of plotline here, and it can mostly be found in Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman. The rest is boring dreams or pointless repetition.

The ending, when you finally get there, is dramatic and another of the major movements in the Infinite Crisis storyline ... but it's just too painful getting there! [2/5]

Villains United. Of all the Infinite Crisis series, Villains United has the best through-line back to Identity Crisis. It's about villains uniting under the threat of "heroic" mind-wipes ... and about those who refuse to join them. It's a nice bit of continuity and a good look at repercussions. The huge hordes of the Society are a lot of fun, but the real joy in this book is obviously the stars, The Secret Six. Here Simone creates a long-running franchise based on superb characterization, one that doesn't quite reach the heights of the original Suicide Squad, but is nonetheless a worthy successor [4/5].

Lightning Strikes Twice. This is the Superman story that serves as the loose connection between Identity Crisis and Day of Vengeance, as Eclipso swears vengeance on Shazam and possesses Jean Loring. It's otherwise not a particularly interesting story: just Eclipso tricking Superman than forcing him to fight Captain Marvel [2+/5].

Day of Vengeance. When two Spirits of Vengeance get together, with Eclipso controlling Spectre, there's all sorts of opportunity for metaphysical wonder. But really, Spectre just kills a bunch of magicians and Shadowpact fights him ... until they're sidelined to let Shazam do the big boss fight. Yeah, terrible plot. The only thing this volume has going for it is the formation of Shadowpact, one of several Justice League Magic's that DC has attempted, none of which have lasted long. Unfortunately author WIllingham would never do much good with them [2+/5].

Rann-Thanagar War. Definitely the weakest of the Infinite Crisis preludes; in short, it's a muddy, momentum-less book. That problem begins with the book's intro, which info-dumps a pile of confusing information from Adam Strange: Planet Heist. From there we get a rather wonderful gathering of DC's cosmic characters, but they all just seem to be fighting endless fights with no feeling of progress. After six issues of this, the story anticlimaxes, sacrificing any conclusion upon the altar of Infinite Crisis. [2/5].

Crisis of Conscience. Of all the Infinite Crisis preludes, this one is the most obvious sequel to Identity Crisis. That's because it returns to the central question of stealing away free will from villains in order to protect heroes. It's rather joyful to see this so clearly a part of modern continuity and also to see the return of the classic Secret Society of Super-Villains, though there's a bit too much repetition of ground already covered by Identity Crisis and a bit too much fighting. This book is also another one that's a very clear prequel to Infinite Crisis as it ends on a cliffhanger (which unfortunately undercuts this story's independence a bit, but so it goes) [3+/5].

Infinite Crisis. The core Infinite Crisis series tries to be a sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths and it succeeds remarkably well. Part of that is Johns' usage of the survivors of the multiverse (which is rather brilliant) and his careful repetition of elements like the Anti-Monitor and the multiple worlds. However, he also does a great job of repeating the staccato style of the original Crisis' epic storytelling. This always rides the line of not showing enough, but Johns lands just right and tells a meaningful and memorable story. (It's also impressive how elegantly this series spins off any number of new series: Checkmate, Secret Six, Shadowpact, and Blue Beetle in particular.) Overall, a wonderful event [5/5].

The Omnibus also weaves the mini-series finales into the Infinite Crisis series itself (and they come across as coherent, complete parts of the story, albeit not up to the writing of the main storyline.

This book was such an awful contrivance, neither placing this stories with the mini-series that they completed, nor with the Infinite Crisis that they interweaved with. Thank goodness that there's now an Infinite Crisis Omnibus that puts them in their correct places. Still, the stories tend to be overbloated sideshows in the Infinite Crisis story whose best feature is highlighting the miniseries that flowed into the Crisis.

Day of Vengeance. It feels like this finale gives us the full scope of Day of Vengeance, as the end of the Ninth Age of Magic and the beginning of the Tenth comes across as truly epic, full of sacrifices (though the Shadowpact are certainly reduced to supporting roles in this finale) [4+/5].

The Rann/Thangar War. So we get more of the chaotic fighting that made the Rann/Thangar War so tedious. It's helped by the fact that we get some context, and there's one dramatic status-quo change ... but after that we still don't get an ending for this interminable battle! [2/5]

The OMAC Project. This finale nicely wraps up the current status of Checkmate and gives a great conclusion to Sasha Bordeaux, but is a bit long in its mindless fighting with OMAC [3+/5].

Villlains Unite. A big bash that nicely connects Villains United to Infinite Crisis #7, but neither has enough story nor enough Secret Six. [3+/5]

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 1400 pages, this is a whopper of a book. And as you might imagine, with 7 or 8 different writters & artist, the quality will go up and down.

For any who may not know, Infinite Crisis was the cumulation of a couple of years of DC stories, all brought to a head. This omnibus brings together those lead up stories and along with the series that wrapped it all up.

One thing that struck me as I was reading this in 2021: There are all these unrelated threads to start us off. Spies with powerful toys and their agenda, a secret supervillain society forming, magic being under attack, a space war, and superheroes not getting along and breaking up the justice league. Since it’s comic books, of course these seemingly unrelated things are all part of the plot of our bad guys for yet another nefarious purpose. But the way it all’s ties together reminded me of recent conspiracy theories that people are believing. Things can’t just happen for those people. It is all part of something else. If you are a fan of those kind of theories, you might give the book more then the three stars I gave it.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge epic that is thrilling even if you aren't the biggest DC Nerd.

But if you are? Even better.

My main review on Infinite Crisis covers that portion well enough but the build up deserves some praise too. The intro of countdown to Infinite Crisis is edge of your seat storytelling starring Blue Beetle with a shocking conclusion that sets the tone for the entire year before Infinite Crisis begins. With setting up the villains united, Omac, Sacrifice, and more, every plotline, mistrust, and anger towards each other especially from Superman to Batman to Wonder Woman leads into WHY Infinite crisis is so important and ends up a reflection of the more grim/dark look into the world of DC.

Excellent book with only the "War" arc in space with Adam Strange being the weak link for me.

A 4 out of 5.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a proper sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths and it is very well done. I'd read most of this content once before when it originally came out in the monthly comic books. I did discover some significant material I'd not read before, the one-shots that are interspersed with the Infinite Crisis mini-series at the end of the omnibus. I miss this period of DC Comics. Now, I'm off to begin the 52 Omnibus which I've never before read in it's entirety.

[Hugo Emanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my quest to further delve into DC lore I have, of late, been attempting to read some of the most iconic and important events from its history. Having read (and rather enjoyed) the sprawling and game-changing epic Crisis on Infinite Earths, it stood to reason that I should get to its sequel of sorts next. However, I had heard alot of people ponting out that the main event was seriously bogged down by references to other storylines and tie-ins that had preceded it. So, as soon as I saw the omnibus for a decent price, I jumped to it.

Its a very complete collection. Aside fron Crisis on Infinite Earths and Identity Crisis (and one should really read those previously to get the most of this), it includes everything you need to fully enjoy this massive event. And there is lots to enjoy. I thought it was very well constructed and a riveting read. It really feels like the writers involved were really on the same page, and the connecting threads tie really well to each other. And there are alot of writers, but the bulk of the book is handled by Geoff Johns and Greg Rucka. There are a few other notable writers that participate in it, like Judd Winnick (of "Under the Red Hood" fame), Bill Willingham (from "Fables"), Gail Simone (Batgirl) and Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), but its main beats are handled by Johns and Rucka. And they handle it wonderfully. It was, like I said before, a very exciting and riveting read.

It must be pretty frustrating for more casual readers to make heads or tail of Infinite Crisis itself, though, without all these tie-ins, and I can see why some people might be turned off it without those supporting reads. But if a reader gets acquainted with, at least, CoIE, Identity Crisis, Countdown to Infinity Crisis, The OMAC project, and JLA-Crisis of Conscience, he should really enjoy this. Its still alot to read previously, though, but if it sounds like homework, its not, because these are all excellent reads. In fact, for me, the main event wasn't even the best part of this omnibus. Countdown, Omac Project, and Crisis of Conscience were, for me, the best parts of it.

I can imagine some of the more hardcore DC fans might have a problem with how some characters are handled here, mostly regarding the deaths of certain characters during it. But I loved it. There was alot of depth to alot of these stories, and it really put the Trinity through the ringer, and made them have to come to terms with some of their darkest moments and decisions, and alot of previous stories and decisions are quite masterfully weaved into this crisis. Not only in the main event, mind, but during the stories that lead up to it. There has also been some decrying of how the Trinity is characterized during this period; that they are presented to the reader as having too many flaws, ad that that compromises their heroism and role as someone to aspire to. I disagree with that notion.
The idea that these heroes are an ideal to aspire to, and therefore, shouldn't be fallible, is a bit of a fallacy for me. If anything, that makes them less relatable, and less of a tangible ideal. The way their fallibilty is approached in this story is interesting, not only because it turns them into more psychologically rich characters, and allows for new storytelling possibilities and approaches, but also because its presented as a consequence of a lifetime of hardship and dissapointement. They've taken on alot, some of it together, and that would put a strain on anybody.
Its also interesting how those golden age characters end up breaking up as well - those idealistic, pure characters changed when faced with real hardship and dificulties. Their earth was simpler, and that's why they managed to keep their "purity", but when tested and immersed on hardship and harsher situations, they coudn't take the pressure. That notion also serves as commentary on the comicbook medium itself.

This meta-commentary seems to argue that, despite claims to the contrary by the comics fan-base, if those characters had not changed changed and kept up with the times, comics wouldn't survive as long as they did. Different generations have periods in comic book history that they hold the dearest (usually those they read when at a young age), and claim should be the blueprint for all present and future comics. But to deny the need for an approach that somewhat mirrors the times and interests of the new generations would mean the death of the genre. New generations require diffent voices and approaches. This Crisis addresses those questions in a way that doesn't get in the way of a pretty good story, or feel too heavy handed.

The artwork is top notch throughout. There is not a single issue here that has bad artwork, and most of it is actually excellent. Phil Jiminez, George Perez, Jerry Ordway, Ivan Reis do alot of the artwork, and also some really good artists I had never heard of like Jesus Saiz, Justiano and Chris Batista, amogst others.

The tie-ins collected are the following:

Countdown to Final Crisis (5/5)
The OMAC Project (5/5)
Superman Sacrifice (3/5)
VIllains United (2/5)
Day of Vengence (4/5)
Rann-Thanagar War (3/5)
JLA: Crisis of Conscience (5/5)
Infinite Crisis (4/5)

So, as you can see, there is ALOT collected here, and reading it in this format, is a very fun and engaging experience. If you are interested in Infinity Crisis, this is the best way to read it. But if you can't find it, or dont like omnibus because of their size, I'd really recommend reading Countdown to Final Crisis, The Omac Project, Sacrifice, and Crisis of Conscience, to get the most of it. But there's a good chance you'd enjoy the main event even whithout these; it'll just be more confusing.
And, of course, Crisis on Infinite Earths and Identity Crisis, which are not collected in the omni.

[Ondra Král · Rating 3 out of 5]

Když jsem četl jsem hlavní řadu IC, hodně mě bavila - na pár místech jsem se nechytal, ale v jádru dobrý. Po omnibusu jsem tak okamžitě skočil a... zklamání. Až na OMAC jsou build-upy setsakra nudné a rozplizlá IC už neměla takový efekt.

[Jacob Mahaffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the least “beginner friendly” comics I’ve ever read. Good thing I wouldn’t call myself a beginner. The main series awesome—some really impressive crowd scenes, a powerful way to make a sequel on a classic, and some genuine emotion. It also does a great job in incorporating elements from all of the tie-in series. Villains United and Day of Vengeance were personal favorites, but I also thoroughly enjoyed the JLA tie-ins and the Superman stories. Rann-Thanagar War was a trudge, and almost had me drop it to a 4, but since the vast majority was great, I’m letting it slide. The way in which DC incorporates editorial change and commentary into the narrative of their universe may seem convoluted and annoying to many, but I think it really works in this case. The contrast between the lighthearted “heroic” feel of the Golden Age and the noticeably darker tone of contemporary comics is used to emphasize a theme of heroism, change, and the nature of good and evil.

[Gerry Sacco · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a book so well loved, I came away extremely disappointed. This isn't actually full of an event. It doesn't even consist of an event and some tie ins. It's all of that, and a bunch of other random compilation stuff. The actual main story, is, just fine. The writing was just all over the place.

I will say, Jimenez and Perez, holy crow. Their art is the best part about this omnibus. Completely blew me away.

Overall, do not recommend. This fell as flat as Crisis on Infinite Earths for me, and, same thing, writing really let down the art team.

[Sage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh man, what a book....this one took me too long to get through. Being such a behemoth of a book, coupled with the tragically dull Rann/Thanagar 'interlude' I almost gave up.

But like most titles (and Earths), there is just enough good to inspire one to finish the job.

Being an important story in the DC Universe, I'm quite happy to have finally read this story. Lots of DC-specific knowledge gaps were filled in here...mostly the Superboy Prime stuff and the fates of the other alternate universe heroes left over from Crisis on Infinite Earths.

This Omnibus starts out with the OMAC Project mini-series... Without going into many spoilers, I will say that it was 'OK' in execution and mildly entertaining. It did help setup the Infinite Crisis storyline which you won't get to until reading through some Villians stuff (decent), some magic stuff (ok if only for the interesting characters), suffer through the (awful) Rann Thanagar intergalactic war.... I'm still not sure why they even bothered with that storyline. Perhaps hard core DC fans appreciate it.

Am I glad to have read it? Sure, I mean it is important and there are a few hidden gems... But it was definitely 'work' to power through it. I'm excited about not reading it which ultimately is too bad as I was terribly excited sbout starting it last month.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: It's best if you read Crisis on Infinite Earths and Identity Crisis before this story.

These are dark days for the DC universe. The Justice League is splintered by internal conflict. Luthor is forming a new, global Secret Society of Super-Villains. Rann and Thanagar are at war with each other, and the Spectre is waging war on magic itself.

There's a lot going on here...almost too much. It's not confusing, but it's a lot to keep in mind as you progress through the book. At least two of the stories seem tangential until their connections are revealed near the end.

But it's also a lot of fun.

The writing and art is mostly strong throughout. Putting Phil Jimenez on the main title was a good idea; his style is very much like that of George Perez, so there's a feeling of continuity with the first Crisis. Justiniano (on Day of Vengeance) is another favorite.

Recommended if you have a good general familiarity with the DCU and are looking for a really big epic.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun! Made a point of reading this before reading the compilations 52, vol. 1 and 52, vol. 2 which really helped make those more enjoyable. This story is good fun. Not great. But it's definitely a setup to the great (albeit a little hokey) story in 52.

No great work of literature here. But good old popcorn reading. Excellent panels throughout.

[Paganraul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this omnibus it was my first omni, you DEFINITELY need to buy this omni it made me scream out loud i freaking love it and the main story is written by THE MAN Geoff Johns so you know it’s gonna be great!

[Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

this took me about a week to read, theres so much going on

[Stuart Collie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Main event’s alright but all the cosmic stuff is a complete mess. Continuity all over the place.

[Alexandre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this event :)

[Jesse Lo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best crisis book after crisis on infinite earths.

[Stephen Ede-Borrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything written by Johns will be superb and this is no exception - massively complex, a vast range of characters. Superb, but most definitely not for a newcomer to the 'Universe'.

[Tice Spire · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I did enjoy most of the book, I did find the Villains United story and even parts of the Rann-Thanagar War boring and a bit unnecessary. Batman throughout the entirety of the crisis was one my favorite depictions of him, as well as the relationship shown between him and Dick. I have a few other gripes about the story as well but apart from my next one, I'll keep it in the vein of the main Infinite Crisis story. Here we go: I do not like or agree with how Wonder Woman was treated for killing Maxwell Lord. Yes, she did cross a line, but she also had no other choice, literally. Maxwell had complete control of Superman; a control so deep, so absolute, that Martian Manhunter himself said he was unsure whether he could undo the damage and was scared to try, possibly destroying Superman's mind altogether. The only way to free Superman was to kill Maxwell. The way NO ONE in the story seemed to grasp that is why I hate the logic behind not killing some villains; it just isn't realistic in some situations. They get over it in the end, but the fact that it was ever a real debate is quite annoying. I also don't fully believe the motivations or beliefs of Superboy Prime, Alexander Luthor, or E2 Superman. They all just seemed like children throwing tantrums because they wouldn't get their way. Superboy Prime wanted to be Superboy again so bad that he could not grasp that two Superboys can 1. exist simultaneously and 2. recognize that HE isn't Superboy or "the" Superboy of that universe. A lot could have been avoided had Superboy Prime not been so easily manipulated by Luthor and just TALKED to the heroes for once. CAN WE PLEASE HAVE THESE PEOPLE TALK TO EACH OTHER BEFORE WE GET TO THE FIGHTS??? I'm all for an epic battle and if talking does not work, then let's fight, but we don't have to start there. I again, cannot believe how little Superboy Prime and E2 Superman comprehended the concept of the multiverse, Luthor as well. Nor can I truly believe in their opinions of Earth One. Okay yes, this world may be darker than what they knew, but considering they’ve never had to face any of the obstacles the heroes on Earth One did (Superman dying fighting Doomsday or Bruce losing Jason) it's inconceivable to hold the heroes to a standard set by their counterparts when their counterparts never experienced some of the dark shit the Earth One heroes did. The villains were darker and as a result so were the heroes, but they were not far off from each other. They wanted a perfect world so bad, they couldn't even consider what that meant. I wish E2 Superman figured out what a perfect world actually means for the concept or idea of Superman on his own. Being old and experienced with the level of wisdom he should have, should have brought him to that conclusion without E1 Superman having to say it. I mean, that's essentially the goal; not just for Superman but all heroes. For there to be a world so harmonious the heroes don't need to exist in the first place. After reading this story, with my memory of Crisis on Infinite Earths and why Marv Wolfman wrote in the first place, it's kinda inconceivable of me to believe that while Wolfman wanted to end the concept of the Multiverse entirely, the mere fact that there were survivors from that event from other universes (E2 Superman, Superboy Prime, Luthor, and Lois) placed in a pocket dimension of sorts, it feels like, even if subconsciously, Wolfman left the door cracked to bring the multiverse back. Personally I feel like there was a way to fix continuity errors without destroying the Multiverse (New 52/Rebirth) but without it we wouldn't have gotten the Anti-Monitor, Infinite Crisis, and a plethora of other great stories, so I'll take it. Superboy Prime was also CRAZY powerful and I'm okay with that, but I HATE HATE HATE the concept of kryptonite not affecting a Kryptonian because they're from an alternate universe. That will never make sense to me. I can buy why magic doesn't affect him, but kryptonite seems like a step too far. All in all, great story. Very satisfying ending for Alexander Luthor dying due to a Luthor/Joker team-up. The biggest moral of this story: NEVER LEAVE JOKER OUT THE FUN. This era of DC Comics was arguably the best, with Rebirth (2016-end of Doomsday Clock) coming very close behind.

[Nolan Gutenschwager · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Absolutely incredible and epic crossover event with gorgeous art throughout by Ivan Reis, Phil Jimenez, George Perez, and others. I don't even know where to start as there are so many layers to this.

All of the other series tie in so well to the core story, including the OMAC Project, Villains United (setting up the Secret Six), Rann-Thanagar War, and Day of Vengeance. So many characters get a chance to shine. I like that this really does feel like a sequel to COIE and Identity Crisis. There is also such great underlying commentary on the state of what comics was at the time and the darker nature of them.

I love how this follows up on COIE. Alexander Luthor, Superboy Prime, Earth 2 Superman, and Earth 2 Lois have been living in their pocket dimension watching what this earth became, and they do not like how dark it is. Lois is dying and Superman is desperate to save her. Alex has been secretly manipulating things for a little while now and wants to create the perfect world. Superboy Prime slowly descends into madness and ultimately gets so mad at this world's Superboy.

It is full of twists and real consequences. Ted Kord Blue Beetle dies early and we later get introduced to Jamie Reyes. Maxwell Lord is just awful and using Brother Eye and the OMACs to do his bidding, and then WW kills him when it seems like the only choice. And then Brother Eye starts running itself and putting the whole world in danger. Lois does end up dying and after causing a lot of problems, Earth 2 Superman finally comes to his senses and starts helping out. New worlds are created and then sort of merged. Power Girl it turns out is Kara from Earth 2 after the four survivors from COIE jog her memory. Big fight with Superboy Prime and he is ultimately defeated and kept as a prisoner on Oa. Alex Luthor survives and is in Gotham City at the end when this world's Lex shows up with the Joker, who kills him. Batman and WW seem to leave at the end. Superman is left without his powers.

There is too much to cover with this one and there is probably so much more to pick up upon a re-read. Just exceptionally well done.

[Seth Abernethy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In more ways than one, the theme of Infinite Crisis could be summed up as "tying up loose ends". On one hand, the main antagonist of the story is attempting to do just that - in his own vision, anyway. And on the other, Geoff Johns is attempting to do exactly that with any inconsistencies and issues leftover from the classic Crisis On Infinite Earths event from 1985. Johns sets out to answer more than a few questions: Where is the Anti-Monitor's body? How can one patchworked Earth remain stable all this time? How has the league not addressed the Dr. Light "issue" yet? And what happened to Kal-L and company? These all get answers, but not before a myriad of events lead up to it, only adding even more mystery and suspense to the overall most important question: What the Hell is wrong with the Justice League? Issues arise with Checkmate, Brother Eye, the Secret Society, the Secret Six, and the seemingly unprovoked Thanagarian/Rann war that snowball into one huge conspiracy, but it all leads back to one very real problem that the league has: trust. Overall, as with any comic event "Infinite Crisis" is a mess, but it's a mess that comes together and stays true to some very important and very real themes. Johns is an expert at making that little red string connect to every dot in his writing, and even the parts of this story that seem like they had nothing to do with anything do indeed have a purpose. It is a cavalcade of appearances by DC characters both beloved and forgotten, but the dialogue is perfectly cohesive and characteristic. Johns manages to keep you strung along. Even when you think the mystery has been revealed, someone says or does one more thing that adds another layer you need to peel back. Some of the best DC antagonists can be found within these pages, and some shining moments for a lot of our favorite heroes. It was a crazy ride from start to finish, and a more than worthwhile event that did indeed shape that which had yet to come. Bottom line: make sure not to leave out the Joker.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was reading the Geoff John’s/Tomasi run of Green Lantern, and was halfway through the Blackest Night Omnibus, when I realized that I didn’t have much for backstory in this era. As the DC era of post Crisis is my favorite, I decided to go back in order to get through my favorite era in comics. So, after reading and thoroughly enjoying Identity Crisis, I started on Infinite, good GOD was I blown away.

This Omni, and everything in it, about it, on it, through it (you get it) was perfect. The intro comic was gripping, the OMAC Project incredible, and then it throws you in with Catman and other vigilantes in a oneshot storyline that, surprisingly, left me wanting more. No single part of this was wasted, and I found that with every comic leading up to the big event, I couldn’t wait to devour more of the book.

Then, Infinite Crisis hits and my jaw hit the floor. I don’t mean this to sound cheesy, and it’s been 3 weeks so I’m off the hype from reading, but I believe this is and always will be my favorite DC event, and one of, if not THE, greatest comic events of all time. It takes elements from everything DC had been setting up for the past 40 years prior and delivers on its promise of game changing, life altering, cataclysmic splendor. Every moment was tense and left me reading well into the night. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the story and feeling it elicits left me feeling hopeful amid the despair.

Rant done, I gave it 5/5 because for me it was flawless. Safe bet for others? 4.5/5. Why not? Regardless, check it out as a whole. I doubt anyone will regret it

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Identity Crisis before Infinite Crisis is a must. It would even deserve to be part of this Omnibus.
I haven't read Crisis on Infinite Earth, but I thought that enough background and explanations were given not to be too lost in the main event. However, there is quite a lot of multiversy explanations as often in big crisis events (and nowadays even in standard arcs).
But I imagine there are a lot of easter eggs for people who read Crisis on Infinite Earth or have an important knowledge of the hundreds of heroes and villains that show in the event.
I liked a lot, possibly more than the main event, the "Coutdown" arcs with smaller teams and focused plots. Especially the villain arc.
The WW vs Superman fight was epic.
Catman is a badass.
As usual, the story loses me a little when the Specter comes into play. He appears in so many stories as the ultimate savior or threat (there was a similar plot in JSA) but I still do not really get the character... I liked the team of magicians though.
I liked the Rann-Thanagar War a little less but I always some trouble to follow the intergalactic storylines. This very good, no doubt.
Crisis of Conscience places Hawkman in the JLA moonbase while we just left him 2 pages before on Rann, that can be confusing.
Overall a very fun read.

[Jeremy Blum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Infinite Crisis is a well crafted story where Superboy Prime punches holes in the multiverse, and reading it in this heavy-as-hell omnibus is the best way to experience it. That said, this is such a product of the mid-2000s, when everyone was keen on deconstructing superheroes and morphing Silver Age comic characters into grim dudes who cut bloody logos into their chests. It's also very much a product of the Dan Didio and Bob Harras era of DC, where you needed a mega-event every 5 years to reset the status quo (Dan even says this much in the introduction to the omnibus), and that's a mentality I'd like comics to move away from. While there ARE moments of hope and renewal at the end of this series, and the One Year Later era it ushered in brought us some good stuff like the return of Batwoman and Jaime Reyes as the Blue Beetle, most of these updates would be screwed up in 2011 when the New 52 hit. So yeah, as Dan said...every 5 years, clean the status quo...and ultimately, that makes Infinite Crisis feel a lot less impactful now, and more of a curious example of DC trying to recapture the lightning in a bottle that was Crisis on Infinite Earths.

[TheMadReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was better than Crisis of infinite earths in my opinion but, only because Johns took the lead in writing. I apologize for slamming some of Rucka’s work in my previous reviews, he shined through out these stories.

I mean, just as you can expect with any DC crisis event, a lot of action, fast paced shit going on, it all seems like doom and gloom however, in the end…everyone walks away unscathed. Poor Grayson though, always getting the short end of the stick. Whether these Supey’s are in their regular clothing or playing Kumbaya with one another, all seems well in the second world, or third world, or first world or 636282th world.

The story wasn’t hard to follow, unlike Morrison’s crisis events however, I’m personally just not a fan when Shazam kicks in with all the magic bullshit. Detective chimp is kind of cool though. Then all the Thangar shit, too much for my buds but, necessary…I guess?

Moral of the story, Alex didn’t let the one and only JOKER participate. Hence, the Luthor’s failed.

I powered through some of these issues but overall, worthy of your shelf space.

Dreading Final Crisis by Morrison after the 52 Omni though.

[Fenrif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant. Not much more to say than that. An epic massive-scale saga that spans the full gamut of the DC universe.

I've heard that Identity Crisis, the preceeding event, is required reading but I don't believe it is. I've not read it and the events were referenced with enough clarity that I wasn't confused about the set-up.

The only negative I have to offer is that, as with a lot of these big omnibus books, the gutter-loss is quite awful. Especially in the big two-page spread artwork pieces. Which is massively frustrating as I assume this is meant to be the definitive version of the event, and some of the art is just ruined by having the focal point of the piece lost in the unreadable margins of the page. Hence the deducted star. Nothing loses any meaning, but for the price it's not really OK.

Other than that though I would highly recommend this. Easily one of the better comic cross-over big event books I've read to date. Especially when compared with the follow up Final Crisis, which I felt was a bit of a disjointed mess, and is especially disappointing when compared to Infinite Crisis' well woven narrative and tie-ins.

[drown_like_its_1999 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stemming from the fallout of Identity Crisis, Earth's fragmented society of superheroes are being discretely undermined by a clandestine organization in addition to an emergent cabal of supervillains. As the conflicts build and divisions between heroes are widened it is revealed the plots against them are the grand masterplan of a friend-turned-foe that seeks to undo the actions taken during the Crisis on Infinite Earths decades prior.

This 1400 page behemoth of an omnibus is about as good as Big Two mega-event collections can get but still suffers from many of the failings present in this kind of story. The event setup and most of the side stories are damn entertaining (with the exception of Gibbons' Rann / Thanagarian war) however suffer in succession as they are only interconnected tangentially, succeeding more as individual stories than as elements of a larger narrative. The smallest scale plots surrounding D tier characters are the most compelling, with Simone's Secret Six buildup being the cream of the crop (which surprised me as I was really underwhelmed by her New 52 Batgirl run) and Willingham's shadowpact team up being a close second. While the core narrative is a well executed and creative evolution of Crisis on Infinite Earths it suffers from the same illogical, overwrought bombast so focused on being EPIC it's hard to drive much joy from the plot. The mapping is probably the collection's biggest success and it does a good job at making the storylines feel like one overarching narrative even if the connections between plots is rather sparse.