52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen

52 #5

by Keith Giffen, Pat Olliffe (Illustrator), John Stanisci (Illustrator)

From the pages of COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS, the Four Horsemen return, and only the combined might of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman can stop them!

From the ashes of the devastated nation of Bialya, the unstoppable villains of the groundbreaking weekly series 52 rise again! They are the FOUR HORSEMEN -- War, Pestilence, Famine, Death -- living embodiments of the Dread Ages of the distant world of Apokolips. Freed from the mad geniuses who first summoned them, the Horsemen look to their own dark ambition, to remake the Earth in their image -- and only the combined might of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman can stop them!

Collecting 52 AFTERMATH: THE FOUR HORSEMEN #1-6

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Comic Book

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2008

About the author

Keith Ian Giffen was an American comic book illustrator and writer. He is possibly best-known for his long runs illustrating, and later writing the Legion of Super-Heroes title in the 1980s and 1990s. He also created the alien mercenary character Lobo (with Roger Slifer), and the irreverent "want-to-be" hero, Ambush Bug. Giffen is known for having an unorthodox writing style, often using characters in ways not seen before. His dialogue is usually characterized by a biting wit that is seen as much less zany than dialogue provided by longtime collaborators DeMatteis and Robert Loren Fleming. That approach has brought him both criticism and admiration, as perhaps best illustrated by the mixed (although commercially successful) response to his work in DC Comics' Justice League International (1987-1992). He also plotted and was breakdown artist for an Aquaman limited series and one-shot special in 1989 with writer Robert Loren Fleming and artist Curt Swan for DC Comics.

Giffen's first published work was "The Sword and The Star", a black-and-white series featured in Marvel Preview, with writer Bill Mantlo. He has worked on titles (owned by several different companies) including Woodgod, All Star Comics, Doctor Fate, Drax the Destroyer, Heckler, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Reign of the Zodiac, Suicide Squad, Trencher (to be re-released in a collected edition by Boom! Studios)., T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and Vext. He was also responsible for the English adaptation of the Battle Royale and Ikki Tousen manga, as well as creating "I Luv Halloween" for Tokyopop. He also worked for Dark Horse from 1994-95 on their Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes line, as the writer of two short lived series, Division 13 and co-author, with Lovern Kindzierski, of Agents of Law. For Valiant Comics, Giffen wrote XO-Manowar, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Punx and the final issue of Solar, Man of the Atom.

He took a break from the comic industry for several years, working on storyboards for television and film, including shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.

He is also the lead writer for Marvel Comics's Annihilation event, having written the one-shot prologue, the lead-in stories in Thanos and Drax, the Silver Surfer as well as the main six issues mini-series. He also wrote the Star-Lord mini-series for the follow-up story Annihilation: Conquest. He currently writes Doom Patrol for DC, and is also completing an abandoned Grant Morrison plot in The Authority: the Lost Year for Wildstorm.

Reviews

[Sesana · Rating 2 out of 5]

52 was actually pretty damn good, so having this follow up miniseries be pretty damn boring is more than a little sad. I'm not exactly sure where this fits in the timeline, and the horsemen themselves are too irritating for me to take them seriously as a threat, even though they're obviously meant to be. I did like snarky!Batman, and I thought that the interactions between him, Superman, and Wonder Woman were mostly true... except for the part where I thought Superman was still angry about her killing Maxwell Lord? But since the chronology is unclear, they could have settled that long ago. In any event, it was nice to see the three of them again.

[John Yelverton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really sad story that is only helped by degrees with the inclusion of the DC trinity.

[Joshua Adam Bain · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I loved the 52 series, and I wanted to read Countdown to Final Crisis (regardless of the terrible reviews). So I thought I'd read this before starting on volume one.

Now I went into this thinking this was the book where Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman came back into the limelight after their "year off". The end of 52 didn't show a reveal so I thought I would see it here in the opening pages. Turns out it wasn't, or they just didn't bother with a reveal and just turned up again. I that's the case it's hideous!

The Four Horseman are back after the whooping they got from Black Adam in the pages of 52. Keith Griffen does an alright tale here, although it's more of a filler story than an epic tale, as you can probably guess by its size.

There are a few obvious cons here. One being that Griffen smacks you straight into the action without much build up or mystery, two things I adore in comics. So without a big build up the climax doesn't really hit home that hard. Another thing that confused me was the fact that this was a worldwide threat, yet only a select few heroes turned up to help out. Seems a little weird to me that they wouldn't seek out the help of everyone they could?

Other than those niggles it was an ok read. Like I said it feels like a filler story. If your reading through continuity like I am it was the next book to read, I think? If anyone can tell me when Diana reclaims here Wonder Woman role along with Bruce and Clark donning their costumes after 52, Id be very grateful!

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dentro de las múltiples tramas de la saga 52, una de las historias más interesantes era la que incluía a los científicos locos de la Isla de Oolong y como sus diferentes habilidades servían para crear a los Cuatro Jinetes de Apokolips. Pero 52 era, sobre todo, un año sin Superman, Batman y Wonder Woman, y ahora había llegado el momento de que la Trinidad se las viera con los Cuatro Jinetes, para lo cual se recurrió al experimentado guionista Keith Giffen y a un dibujante competente, Pat Oliffe, que crearon una miniserie en la que podíamos asistir al regreso de los Cuatro Jinetes a la nación de Bialya, devastada tras el ataque sufrido por Black Adam en 52. Convertidos esta vez en la versión "terrana" de los Cuatro Jinetes de Apokolips, estos seres tratarán de vengarse de los héroes de la Tierra... y también de su creadora, la doctora Verónica Cale, convertida ahora en presidenta de la Isla-Nación de Oolong.

La verdad es que este tomo tampoco tiene mucho más, es una historia autoconclusiva que realmente no aporta nada nuevo ni es excesivamente original, pero que cumple con su función básica, que es hacer que el lector pase un rato entretenido, y eso lo consigue.

[Daniel Sepúlveda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Puntaje: 3.4 Estrellas.

Por fin he podido continuar con mi lectura de la cronología de DC Comics, en esta ocasión, leí una de las historias que hacen parte del “Aftermath” (En español, consecuencias) de 52. Aquí veremos el resurgimiento de cuatro semidioses de Apokolips en Byalia, un país que ha sido destruido por Black Adam.

Me ha parecido una historia interesante, aunque siento que me quedó a deber. Me faltó un poco más de emoción o ese factor sorpresa que me dejara impresionado. Definitivamente es un arco que tiene como función conectar 52 con cosas que vendrán más adelante en el universo DC.
En cuanto a cosas positivas: Me gustó ver a la trinidad de DC trabajando juntos y me encantó la escena en que Batman golpea a un miembro de Checkmate porque éste se rehusa a usar el nombre en clave de Superman.

Sólo recomiendo este cómic a quien esté leyendo la cronología de DC, si no has leído los cómics anteriores no entenderás mucho de la historia.

[D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series follows up the 52 event series from DC. Not much of consequence happens in it, with the exception of some cute humor between the three lead superheroes. For completists, SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN, and BATMAN, and DOOM PATROL all play parts, but there's really nothing to recommend the series except the art, which is by the underrated Pat Oliffe.

The story has something to do with the rebirth of the four horsemen following the events of 52, and the superheroes who try to stop them. But there's no real suspense or characterization, just pretty much by-the-numbers superheroics.

For completists only.

[Alek Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rating this one low just because as a trinity follow up to 52 it's kind of a let down. I mean you would think that Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman going up against embodiments of the four horsemen from Apokalypse would be better than this. The plot is kind of disjointed, Batman comes off as cocky and ever so arrogant, while Superman and Wonder Woman are just targets for the other horsemen. The motives of the horsemen seem small and narrow for how powerful they are. Making their actions seem confusing. It starts off with promise but then the story sort of losses it's interest.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

This was a little disappointing. I really liked the 52 series, but this follow up I didn't care for. The 52 series didn't feature Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman, so this series focused on them. But it just didn't work for me. The three were trying to defeat the four horsemen who had showed up in 52. I thought Black Adam had taken care of them, but apparently not.

The characterizations seemed a little off, especially Batman. Art wasn't bad, but overall the book seemed a little too long and a little bland. Just didn't feel like a story that served any purpose.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things get scary when something takes a bite out of Superman and it actually breaks the skin. After 52 not involving "The Trinity", it was good to see them together fighting some super powerful, earth-threatening bad guys. And the Horsemen were even cooler this time around since they were actual "ideas" rather than just physical creations. The best part was that Batman got possessed but was more bad ass than "Famine" because his "hunger" was stronger.

[Hugo Emanuel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very dull read, with very unimpressive artwork.

You'd think a story featuring the Trinity, Doom Patrol and the literal physical manifestation of Death, Famine, War and Pestilence would be, at the very least, mildly interesting.

It's not. Even if you are a completist that enjoyed 52, you don't need to read this at all. Just pretend the 4 horsemen were defeated by Black Adam in 52, and ignore this. Its short, but feels longer due to how utterly dull it is.

[Todd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story is boring. Which is disappointing because I usually love Keith Giffen. There is some good dialogue, but there aren’t many good scenes.

Art is okay as long as the character isn’t Wonder Woman. She looks like a skeleton with tits in some panels. She doesn’t look powerful; she looks hungry.

[Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading the whole of the 52 saga it was great to revisit the pioneering characters of comic book history. It is entertaining and ties up some threads from the 52 storyline but lacks the scale so it feels like a dvd extra to a main feature. Enjoyable bit not necessary for readers of 52.

[Nathan Bissett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine. Clearly just connective tissue for Final Crisis

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic Plot: The 4 Horsemen of Apokolips come to Earth, and the Big Three have to stop them.

Good humor and interactions between characters. Good art that makes the read worthwhile. Story was light, mostly just smash-the-bad-guys action. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it isn't exactly a world-changer.

[Dan Prestwich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really anything special as a story about the Trinity, but Giffen's dialogue is sharp and funny enough to make it a good read.

B-

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this very quickly after finishing the 52 collection. I was impressed with how Keith Giffen took the incredibly boring character of Veronica Cale and made her someone to be reckoned with. Granted, I only know Cale from Greg Rucka's original story arc, and I was unimpressed with her then, partly because Diana does not need a Lex Luthor equivalent: her story is riveting enough without needing to copy the other heroes of the DC Universe (this was, unsurprisingly, around when I stopped collecting individual issues.) Mr Giffen makes Cale a real threat in this book and, better, a total badass. I'm looking forward to reading more of her in future (well, assuming that the 52 reboot hasn't ruined her totally, too.)

Overall, it was nice to see the Trinity back in action, especially against a viable threat. It was also really nice to see Batman be a dick again. I enjoyed this a lot, even if I think it felt just a wee bit rushed, which is the only reason I gave it 3 instead of 4 stars.

[Madeleine Morrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

To call this "52 Aftermath" means it should feel like it flows from 52. Sure, the Four Horsemen a somewhat big part of 52, but that's not enough to tie this to 52. The tone/feel/voice of this limited series is completely different. On top of that, Giffen's versions of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman act (and feel) different than the versions of these characters in the rest of the series happening during this time. The least DC could do is make sure the writers try to write the same character during these crossover events.
So, ultimately, I don't see the point of this series. I don't even know WHEN it's happening. It feels completely disconnected from the rest of the DCU. Perhaps it will become more meaningful the further I get into Countdown to Final Crisis and Final Crisis. Or perhaps it's just another poorly thought out crossover/tie-in.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Keith Giffen pits the DCU trinity up against the four Horsemen of Apokalips in this 52 Aftermath volume. Despite having been completely devastated by an enraged Black Adam, the twisted science experiments dubbed the Four Horsemen have not been vanquished. Rebirthing themselves through the people of the destroyed nation of Bialya, each of the Horsemen are returning with a vengeance. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman must team up to stop them, accepting help from an unlikely source - the newly-independent Oolong Island that created the Horsemen. While cover artist Ethan Van Sciver works his artistic magic, the interior story from Giffen is sorely contrived. The entire series feels like a commercial for the 52-week-long series Trinity (which it was). Six issues, four horsemen, three DCU heroes, and one large waste of time.

[victoria.p · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mostly for the endless amount of snarking Batman does, mostly at Superman (so married!), but also at that Snapper Carr dude. Aside from the fact that the horsemen were loosed in 52, and there are a lot of referrals to Black Adam, it doesn't feel like a continuation of that story. Which is okay, because I didn't really like that part of 52 (tbh, I didn't like most of 52, except for Renee's storyline). Also, it seems a little weird that Bruce and Clark are joking around with Diana when afaik, the last time they were together, they were shunning her for killing Max Lord. (Okay, Bruce and Diana met at Nanda Parbat towards the end of 52 and obviously had some sort of reconciliation, but if Clark and Diana did, it wasn't in anything I've read.)

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reprints 52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen #1-6. The Four Horsemen of Apokolips reform and are faced by Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. 52 was way too drawn out and uneventful. This actually is a little better in that they compressed the action due to the standard six issue format and a tighter storyline...It doesn't mean it is great. The introduction of the Horsemen seems rushed and the final battle also seems like it could be more developed.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Superheroes work together to battle powerful beings left over from the 52 series.

DC pushes their luck with this 52 afterthought.

After a great series like 52, this book is very disappointing.

Weak story, poor writing.

Nothing to see here, move along.

Notes
Stars the big DC three: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman

Learning Curve
Moderate

Reading Order
To be read after the 52 series

[George (Abandoned Places) · Rating 1 out of 5]

A major disappointment. The story moves at a glacial pace because there's just not enough material for six issues here. This would have been a good 4 issue series, or a fantastic annual...oh wait, they don't make annuals anymore. Too bad.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cool way to bring back the Trinity after their absence for a year, although just about every other hero we've come to know so well is conspicuously absent. Also, the ending was a bit anti-climactic for me with the typical ending that leaves you not really knowing the fate of the baddies.

[Koen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, what was that?! After 52 they release this meager aftermath....
All in all the action was well shown, but all this build up was for naught.. Veronica is by far one of the worst characters I've seen in DC history..
This will be erased from my mind and I will only think about 52 from now on ;)

[Coulter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't too impressed with the story, it was hard to follow and didn't captivate my interest.

[Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aside from one great Batman moment, there's not much here, and it reads like a tack-on to 52, rather than an intriguing follow-up or tangent.

[Trae Brookins · Rating 3 out of 5]

good enough, though it really pales in comparison with the 52 series proper.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty standard follow up to 52. A bit of filler but the artwork's nice

[H. Givens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good characterization, otherwise just another element of 52, not really a standalone.

[Linda]

Research for The Four Horsemen at CONvergence.