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DC Comics Novels
Infinite Crisis: The Novel
Superman, The Man of Steel...Wonder Woman, the Amazon Princess...Batman, the Dark Knight. For years, the rift between the Justice League's leaders has been widening. Batman's paranoia has given birth to an army of robotic assassins. Wonder Woman has declared herself judge, jury, and executioner, taking a foe's life in an act that was broadcast worldwide. Superman is under the influence of mind control. With the Justice League divided and a super-villain coalition openly targeting the heroes, ordinary civilians find themselves caught in the crossfire.
The heroes have lost their way, their values, and their responsibilities. Only those who understand the true meaning of sacrifice are prepared to rectify this crisis-a crisis that originated in an alternate era when infinite earths collided in a cosmic cataclysm that erased history and lives. And those who survived are looking to restore all they have lost, regardless of the consequences.
The heroes have lost their way, their values, and their responsibilities. Only those who understand the true meaning of sacrifice are prepared to rectify this crisis-a crisis that originated in an alternate era when infinite earths collided in a cosmic cataclysm that erased history and lives. And those who survived are looking to restore all they have lost, regardless of the consequences.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 3, 2006
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436 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 30, 2018
It was a very admirable attempt to adapt the 2006 DC Comics event into a novel. However, despite the interesting concept, there is just many plot threads and characters to follow.
The novel not only adapts the original 7 issue miniseries, but also scenes from the multiple tie-in comics (Day of Vengeance, Rann-Thanagar War, and the solo hero series). Because of that, there is some uneven focus, with some subplots diverting far from the main story, such as The Spectre's battle with the wizard Shazam.
The novel not only adapts the original 7 issue miniseries, but also scenes from the multiple tie-in comics (Day of Vengeance, Rann-Thanagar War, and the solo hero series). Because of that, there is some uneven focus, with some subplots diverting far from the main story, such as The Spectre's battle with the wizard Shazam.
September 13, 2019
A decent adaptation of a spectacular comic book epic.
Not my first foray into novelizations of a major comic book story. Some are good and some are bad, this one is average at best. Not written by the same writer, but Greg Cox does a decent job in adapting this well. I fine compliment is given especially since the original story had several spinoffs and side stories involved. But it's still flawed.
I'm usually not a fan of multiverse stories, believing that the nearly infinite amount of alternate worlds is too cluttered and full of information that becomes irrelevant to the story of the main universe. But over time I have gotten quite used to certain stories, some of which I have enjoyed greatly. In this case, the universes that existed from the Crisis of Infinite Earth's make a modest cameo as the villains and heroes clash. It's not as bad as the adaptation of Crisis of Infinite Earths - avoidable at all costs I might add. This story still takes the histories of the previous universe and only hints at them. This book should have done better in relating that information.
Thankfully Greg Cox sets this story with the multitude of characters and does what he can to stick to the important parts.
The story is the same from the comic book as several events in the DC Comics Universe have come together in an event that leads to this moment. One of the most obvious is the equally epic Marv Wolfman story “Crisis of Infinite Earths.” After the infinite multiverses that had been set up since the 1960s had reformed after the end of said Crisis, the survivors of the event drifted peacefully in a state of limbo. But they remained without a home and had an eye into the new universe. What they see is not good it’s a disgrace to the worlds they once lived. Earth-2 Superman whose nobility is hurt at the sight of a Superman who’s died, forced to kill and has been desperate in the face of such horrible calamities. Earth-3 Alexander Luthor, Jr is the son of a good Lex Luthor from an evil Earth and is disappointed as much as Earth-2 Superman. Earth-Prime Superboy is a young man who agrees with his older counterpart from Earth-2, but because of his youth, he’s temperamental and furious at the sight of this world’s Superboy, a clone that is burdened with his recent falling out with the Teen Titans over his mind-controlled state.
It is as these three men come together, with Earth-2 Lois Lane dying that the idea is hatched between them to reform this world as their own, to create a better Earth. All the while things that have divided the Justice League have finally reached the breaking point. Superman being mind-controlled by Maxwell Lord and Wonder Woman being forced to kill her friend’s manipulator. Batman and Superman’s shared disappointment with her as well as in each other. Batman created a massive espionage protocol that once again was set if a Justice League member would be manipulated was used against them. As well as several members of the League revealing various dark secrets from the Identity Crisis series. Superboy’s mind control and having forced to fight his friends in the Teen Titans. War is waged over the worlds of Thanagar and Rann as the Green Lanterns intervene. Despite some good runs with other characters it is not looking good for the Justice League.
It is here that things start bad while others are trying to put things together, that the Legion of Doom takes on the Justice Society, the Teen Titans and other remnants of the Justice League. From there the three beings of multiple Earths engineer a device made out of the remnants of the destroyed Anti-Monitor take it upon themselves to create their better world. But first Superboy from Earth-Prime or as he will forever be known as Superboy-Prime takes it upon himself to destroy Superboy. It’s a vicious encounter that reveals that these young alternate Earth beings are not as heroic as they seem. Alexander Luthor Jr takes it upon himself to use his device to stop the speedsters of this Earth. But it would appear that Earth-2 Superman knows nothing of the cruelty of his other counterparts and assists the League like anyone called Superman can handle.
It becomes a major battle of wills with millions dying around the world, none of more importance than the superheroes who fight back. In the end, the good guys win, the bad guys lose. But so much death, in the face of such evil, it doesn’t feel like a victory. But its certainly makes for a wonderful story.
The adaptation is chaotic but its better told than the previous adaptation of Crisis of Infinite Earths. Though even I wish that it could have removed more things to make it flow much quicker and smoother. Rann-Thanagar, as well as the Amazons and the events of Bludhaven, weren't necessary to the scheme of things. Though I wish more of Superboy was added, particularly his final night with his girlfriend.
All things considered, this could have been a much better adaptation such as the Death of Superman, Knightfall, and Kingdom Come novelizations, but it is not. But it could have been worse such as the Crisis of Infinite Earths novelization.
Not my first foray into novelizations of a major comic book story. Some are good and some are bad, this one is average at best. Not written by the same writer, but Greg Cox does a decent job in adapting this well. I fine compliment is given especially since the original story had several spinoffs and side stories involved. But it's still flawed.
I'm usually not a fan of multiverse stories, believing that the nearly infinite amount of alternate worlds is too cluttered and full of information that becomes irrelevant to the story of the main universe. But over time I have gotten quite used to certain stories, some of which I have enjoyed greatly. In this case, the universes that existed from the Crisis of Infinite Earth's make a modest cameo as the villains and heroes clash. It's not as bad as the adaptation of Crisis of Infinite Earths - avoidable at all costs I might add. This story still takes the histories of the previous universe and only hints at them. This book should have done better in relating that information.
Thankfully Greg Cox sets this story with the multitude of characters and does what he can to stick to the important parts.
The story is the same from the comic book as several events in the DC Comics Universe have come together in an event that leads to this moment. One of the most obvious is the equally epic Marv Wolfman story “Crisis of Infinite Earths.” After the infinite multiverses that had been set up since the 1960s had reformed after the end of said Crisis, the survivors of the event drifted peacefully in a state of limbo. But they remained without a home and had an eye into the new universe. What they see is not good it’s a disgrace to the worlds they once lived. Earth-2 Superman whose nobility is hurt at the sight of a Superman who’s died, forced to kill and has been desperate in the face of such horrible calamities. Earth-3 Alexander Luthor, Jr is the son of a good Lex Luthor from an evil Earth and is disappointed as much as Earth-2 Superman. Earth-Prime Superboy is a young man who agrees with his older counterpart from Earth-2, but because of his youth, he’s temperamental and furious at the sight of this world’s Superboy, a clone that is burdened with his recent falling out with the Teen Titans over his mind-controlled state.
It is as these three men come together, with Earth-2 Lois Lane dying that the idea is hatched between them to reform this world as their own, to create a better Earth. All the while things that have divided the Justice League have finally reached the breaking point. Superman being mind-controlled by Maxwell Lord and Wonder Woman being forced to kill her friend’s manipulator. Batman and Superman’s shared disappointment with her as well as in each other. Batman created a massive espionage protocol that once again was set if a Justice League member would be manipulated was used against them. As well as several members of the League revealing various dark secrets from the Identity Crisis series. Superboy’s mind control and having forced to fight his friends in the Teen Titans. War is waged over the worlds of Thanagar and Rann as the Green Lanterns intervene. Despite some good runs with other characters it is not looking good for the Justice League.
It is here that things start bad while others are trying to put things together, that the Legion of Doom takes on the Justice Society, the Teen Titans and other remnants of the Justice League. From there the three beings of multiple Earths engineer a device made out of the remnants of the destroyed Anti-Monitor take it upon themselves to create their better world. But first Superboy from Earth-Prime or as he will forever be known as Superboy-Prime takes it upon himself to destroy Superboy. It’s a vicious encounter that reveals that these young alternate Earth beings are not as heroic as they seem. Alexander Luthor Jr takes it upon himself to use his device to stop the speedsters of this Earth. But it would appear that Earth-2 Superman knows nothing of the cruelty of his other counterparts and assists the League like anyone called Superman can handle.
It becomes a major battle of wills with millions dying around the world, none of more importance than the superheroes who fight back. In the end, the good guys win, the bad guys lose. But so much death, in the face of such evil, it doesn’t feel like a victory. But its certainly makes for a wonderful story.
The adaptation is chaotic but its better told than the previous adaptation of Crisis of Infinite Earths. Though even I wish that it could have removed more things to make it flow much quicker and smoother. Rann-Thanagar, as well as the Amazons and the events of Bludhaven, weren't necessary to the scheme of things. Though I wish more of Superboy was added, particularly his final night with his girlfriend.
All things considered, this could have been a much better adaptation such as the Death of Superman, Knightfall, and Kingdom Come novelizations, but it is not. But it could have been worse such as the Crisis of Infinite Earths novelization.
February 27, 2019
This was an interesting adaptation of the mini-series that ran back in 2005-2006. I had read the comics themselves when they first came out; I did not realize they had also released a novelized version of the story. From what I remember of the story in the comics, I felt this novelization was a decent adaptation of the story. That is not to say it does not have its weaknesses, but I still enjoyed reading this story in a novelized format - he included some information that I remember not being aware of in the mini-series as I tended to dabble in DC and focused more on Marvel at the time.
In terms of the weakness:
1. It probably falls victim to the author having to focus on specific events in the primary seven issues while including some information from other comics that tied into this 'big event.' There is a lot that goes on in just the seven issues alone; that was part of the reason why they had 'tie-in' issues, some of which were 'one-shots' and some of which were taken from the regular issues of some of the main characters in the story. Even with the narrowed focus, there is still a lot going on in this novel. I did feel he provided just enough information for somebody who had never read the comics, but even then, there were times I was overwhelmed with the number of characters listed on the page.
2. I think the second biggest weakness had to be the number of characters. There are so many characters in this book, it boggled my brain a bit. I trust the deaths of some of the heroes was supposed to mean something, but there were so many characters with which I was unfamiliar or had never heard of that their deaths did not mean anything to me. I was shocked by some of them, to be honest, but they still did not mean anything to me as I was not emotionally invested in many of them. Even the villains - there were so many of them, at one point, that when (if) any of them were killed, it was more of a "meh" because they were not "important villains" or "primary villains." If, say, the Joker had been killed, that would have had more of an impact on me (I would have been delighted, as I cannot stand that character).
3. Personally, I felt the whole "Wonder Woman murdered Maxwell Lord" was overblown, myself. I never actually read the issue where that happened, but based on the information given in the novel, I thought she was 'within her rights' to deal with him as she did. He was mentally controlling Superman and the only way to stop him was to kill him; by his own admission, that was the only way she could stop him and end Superman's being mind-controlled. In conjunction with that, the Amazons were clearly a warrior society; they might have sought for peaceful relations and peaceful co-existence, but they were smart enough to prepare for war. I thought it was a joke that the Amazons were portrayed as being "warlike" when they were defending themselves from attack by the OMACs. It felt like a contrived situation based on a straw argument. Some of the OMACs were broadcasting the battle globally - unless they were also editing the footage being sent out for the world to see, anybody could clearly see the Amazons were defending themselves from attack and fighting back. To claim that their defending themselves somehow nullifies their desire to live at peace with the rest of the world and strive for peace amongst the peoples of Earth seems intellectually dishonest to me and more than a little deceitful.
4. I really, really, really hated how strong Superboy-Prime was. It was really annoying.
5. There were some 'minor side stories' that somehow tied into the 'big event' that I did not know really needed to be included in the novelization. Or, if they were needed, then they did not need to take up such a 'big chunk' of the story .
That is not to say I disliked the entire book. There were some things that I liked:
1. As I had not really kept up with DC for a long time, I did appreciate the book making some things a bit more clear to me that I did not understand when reading the mini-series when it first came out. I found myself appreciating the novelization because it filled in the gaps with the missing information needed to better understand what was going on.
2. While I really came to intensely dislike "Superboy-Prime," I thought the writers did a good job with his character in describing his 'fall from grace,' as it were. He starts out by wanting to do what is right, but he goes about it the wrong way, and his wrong choices continue to corrupt him.
3. I thought there were some good lines in the book, to be honest.
There is a 'foreward' that explains the 'reason' behind this mini-series, why it was written the way it was. I thought it was interesting and beneficial to learn about the "reasons" behind the "why." I guess I could see the point(s) being made in the overall story (the DC heroes had become "darker" and the writers were trying to create some kind of contrasting comparison, is what I took away from it). I think it worked, overall.
It was a fast read (even though it did feel a bit 'long' at times). It was a fun read. I am glad that I read it as it did fill in some gaps in my knowledge I remember having when I read the comics (as I did not read all of the tie-in issues, either) (but this novel filled in enough for me to follow this story fairly well). Will I read it again? Probably not anytime soon, but I could see myself reading it again, at some point in time. It has made me want to find the mini-series and read that, at the very least, and see if the different events in the mini-series make more sense to me, having read the novelization.
In terms of the weakness:
1. It probably falls victim to the author having to focus on specific events in the primary seven issues while including some information from other comics that tied into this 'big event.' There is a lot that goes on in just the seven issues alone; that was part of the reason why they had 'tie-in' issues, some of which were 'one-shots' and some of which were taken from the regular issues of some of the main characters in the story. Even with the narrowed focus, there is still a lot going on in this novel. I did feel he provided just enough information for somebody who had never read the comics, but even then, there were times I was overwhelmed with the number of characters listed on the page.
2. I think the second biggest weakness had to be the number of characters. There are so many characters in this book, it boggled my brain a bit. I trust the deaths of some of the heroes was supposed to mean something, but there were so many characters with which I was unfamiliar or had never heard of that their deaths did not mean anything to me. I was shocked by some of them, to be honest, but they still did not mean anything to me as I was not emotionally invested in many of them. Even the villains - there were so many of them, at one point, that when (if) any of them were killed, it was more of a "meh" because they were not "important villains" or "primary villains." If, say, the Joker had been killed, that would have had more of an impact on me (I would have been delighted, as I cannot stand that character).
3. Personally, I felt the whole "Wonder Woman murdered Maxwell Lord" was overblown, myself. I never actually read the issue where that happened, but based on the information given in the novel, I thought she was 'within her rights' to deal with him as she did. He was mentally controlling Superman and the only way to stop him was to kill him; by his own admission, that was the only way she could stop him and end Superman's being mind-controlled. In conjunction with that, the Amazons were clearly a warrior society; they might have sought for peaceful relations and peaceful co-existence, but they were smart enough to prepare for war. I thought it was a joke that the Amazons were portrayed as being "warlike" when they were defending themselves from attack by the OMACs. It felt like a contrived situation based on a straw argument. Some of the OMACs were broadcasting the battle globally - unless they were also editing the footage being sent out for the world to see, anybody could clearly see the Amazons were defending themselves from attack and fighting back. To claim that their defending themselves somehow nullifies their desire to live at peace with the rest of the world and strive for peace amongst the peoples of Earth seems intellectually dishonest to me and more than a little deceitful.
4. I really, really, really hated how strong Superboy-Prime was. It was really annoying.
5. There were some 'minor side stories' that somehow tied into the 'big event' that I did not know really needed to be included in the novelization. Or, if they were needed, then they did not need to take up such a 'big chunk' of the story .
That is not to say I disliked the entire book. There were some things that I liked:
1. As I had not really kept up with DC for a long time, I did appreciate the book making some things a bit more clear to me that I did not understand when reading the mini-series when it first came out. I found myself appreciating the novelization because it filled in the gaps with the missing information needed to better understand what was going on.
2. While I really came to intensely dislike "Superboy-Prime," I thought the writers did a good job with his character in describing his 'fall from grace,' as it were. He starts out by wanting to do what is right, but he goes about it the wrong way, and his wrong choices continue to corrupt him.
3. I thought there were some good lines in the book, to be honest.
There is a 'foreward' that explains the 'reason' behind this mini-series, why it was written the way it was. I thought it was interesting and beneficial to learn about the "reasons" behind the "why." I guess I could see the point(s) being made in the overall story (the DC heroes had become "darker" and the writers were trying to create some kind of contrasting comparison, is what I took away from it). I think it worked, overall.
It was a fast read (even though it did feel a bit 'long' at times). It was a fun read. I am glad that I read it as it did fill in some gaps in my knowledge I remember having when I read the comics (as I did not read all of the tie-in issues, either) (but this novel filled in enough for me to follow this story fairly well). Will I read it again? Probably not anytime soon, but I could see myself reading it again, at some point in time. It has made me want to find the mini-series and read that, at the very least, and see if the different events in the mini-series make more sense to me, having read the novelization.
June 9, 2020
When Crisis on Infinite Earths was finished, as much as the phrase is overused, the DC Universe would never be the same again. Years later, Infinite Crisis was a sequel of sorts. Some characters left at loose ends and largely forgotten about since that event come back with an agenda of their own, and they come at a bad time for Earth's heroes.
Not too long ago, it was revealed that a faction of the Justice League was up to some very questionable activities, even turning on some of their own to keep it secret. In answer to this betrayal, Batman created the AI Brother Eye to observe Earth's metas. When Superman was under the mental control of a ruthless villain, there was only way to stop the Man of Steel from becoming an unstoppable killing machine, and Wonder Woman not only killed the villain, but footage of it was leaked to the world. Now, the League is divided, with the Trinity not really speaking to each other. How are they going to stop a plot that's been in motion for years by people they've literally forgotten existed?
It's an ugly story as events in space reshape the cosmos itself and alien relations, a berserk former hero changes the face of magic, and the villains are aligned behind a new mysterious leader. Heroes are killed, villains fall in battle, and landmarks are destroyed. Can Earth's heroes get themselves together? Will they be permanently divided? And what happens to the bad guy when they leave a particular wild card out?
Novelizations of comic book stories are always tricky and this was a complicated event. There are a few minor glitches that probably the vast majority of the public wouldn't catch. It's an interesting story and chronicles a major event, as well as how some heroes and their histories relate to each other, and bringing back some old memories.
Recommended to comic book/super hero fans especially.
Not too long ago, it was revealed that a faction of the Justice League was up to some very questionable activities, even turning on some of their own to keep it secret. In answer to this betrayal, Batman created the AI Brother Eye to observe Earth's metas. When Superman was under the mental control of a ruthless villain, there was only way to stop the Man of Steel from becoming an unstoppable killing machine, and Wonder Woman not only killed the villain, but footage of it was leaked to the world. Now, the League is divided, with the Trinity not really speaking to each other. How are they going to stop a plot that's been in motion for years by people they've literally forgotten existed?
It's an ugly story as events in space reshape the cosmos itself and alien relations, a berserk former hero changes the face of magic, and the villains are aligned behind a new mysterious leader. Heroes are killed, villains fall in battle, and landmarks are destroyed. Can Earth's heroes get themselves together? Will they be permanently divided? And what happens to the bad guy when they leave a particular wild card out?
Novelizations of comic book stories are always tricky and this was a complicated event. There are a few minor glitches that probably the vast majority of the public wouldn't catch. It's an interesting story and chronicles a major event, as well as how some heroes and their histories relate to each other, and bringing back some old memories.
Recommended to comic book/super hero fans especially.
March 9, 2022
I've been collecting comics for almost 40 years. Yeah, I've read lots of storylines, but this one has grabbed me in particular in many ways. There was a leadup to Infinite Crisis for almost a year, and when the mini series hit it was all action no barred intense awesome yes please wow! I ended up listening to a Graphic Audio presentation which is phenomenal but decided to read the novelization of Infinite Crisis. I'm familiar with almost all the characters presented, but this could be daunting if you haven't read a DC comic in years. Very much enjoyed this.
June 6, 2022
A fun read, but it got a bit confusing trying to keep up with all of the characters. He did a good job of tying it all together, but it was a bit tedious to read at times. If you are not really up on DC characters you will be lost within the first 2 chapters or so. If you are very familiar with DC characters this is a good book for you.
January 14, 2022
Follows Crisis on Infinite Earths. It was OK, a little disjointed because of so many story lines from a wide array of comics being pulled into a single novel form.
Not as kid friendly as some others. A lot of violence, heroes and villains fighting to the death.
Not as kid friendly as some others. A lot of violence, heroes and villains fighting to the death.
August 17, 2022
I have note read the comics that were compiled and expanded upon in this novel so I can’t compare them but this was a fun, sad, illuminating ride. If you are into superhero mythology I would recommend.
October 31, 2022
Way too many characters for an audiobook. Literally, everyone from DC's Universe has a presence in this audiobook leaving it difficult to follow the plot and characters.
January 10, 2023
Another one of Greg Cox's masterpieces ...
September 15, 2011
Review Title: A mad man seeks to recreate the multiverse for his own twisted ends…
Story:
The Crisis on Infinite earths had ended with the defeat of the Anti-Monitor and the recreation of the universe as it was meant to be. There now is only one Earth and one time line. Time has passed and only a few know the true scope of what it cost to defeat the Anti-Monitor and stop its quest of destruction. Time has also moved on with those that were most affected by the changes that were made when the various realties were merged into one.
The new world that emerged following the crisis was both the same and different. Much of the world existed as it always had with a few additions here and there from the other realties that folded into each other. No one was the wiser since as far as they were concerned that was the way it had always been.
Except there is a group of people that could see the differences in this new world and they wondered if they had made a mistake.
The hero’s that should be protecting this world are instead fighting themselves and causing more problems than they are solving. Batman, in his paranoia, created a satellite that was meant to keep an eye on his fellow super heroes. Instead his creation has evolved into a malevolent AI that has only one goal: Kill all mutants and super heroes. Wonder Woman has turned into a vigilante that takes matters into her own hands; becoming judge, jury and executioner. Superman finds that no matter what he does the chaos continues to spread and without the help of his longtime friends and companions he is powerless to stop it.
To add to these problems all the villains of the world have banded together and have begun an all-out attack on the forces of good. As heroes begin to fall and the destruction spreads, it seems that the end of the world may finally be at hand.
Except that group that thought they had made a mistake… they had a solution. It would mean the end of this new time line, but wasn’t the world they left behind better than the one that they created?
-----
To start off there is something about this book that kept me reading. At times , unless you’re a comic book fan, the story bounces around so much and references events that the reader may or may not be familiar with that it can make one’s eyes start to glaze over. I know mine did a couple of times, usually when the author is trying to explain why this particular encounter is important or why that event is causing this character to act like they are.
The main story itself is pretty exciting and keeps the action moving. There are enough twist and turns to keep even a causal comic book fan like myself guessing and there is even a couple of plot points that can make you think about the story in a different light. Before you read this I would definitely check out the Crisis on Infinite Earth’s book so that the story makes a little more sense. It doesn’t hurt if you have seen some of the recent animated movies either. I would recommend this to any one that wants to find out what happened after the Infinite Crisis and those who like fast paced action adventure books in general. M.ac.
Story:
The Crisis on Infinite earths had ended with the defeat of the Anti-Monitor and the recreation of the universe as it was meant to be. There now is only one Earth and one time line. Time has passed and only a few know the true scope of what it cost to defeat the Anti-Monitor and stop its quest of destruction. Time has also moved on with those that were most affected by the changes that were made when the various realties were merged into one.
The new world that emerged following the crisis was both the same and different. Much of the world existed as it always had with a few additions here and there from the other realties that folded into each other. No one was the wiser since as far as they were concerned that was the way it had always been.
Except there is a group of people that could see the differences in this new world and they wondered if they had made a mistake.
The hero’s that should be protecting this world are instead fighting themselves and causing more problems than they are solving. Batman, in his paranoia, created a satellite that was meant to keep an eye on his fellow super heroes. Instead his creation has evolved into a malevolent AI that has only one goal: Kill all mutants and super heroes. Wonder Woman has turned into a vigilante that takes matters into her own hands; becoming judge, jury and executioner. Superman finds that no matter what he does the chaos continues to spread and without the help of his longtime friends and companions he is powerless to stop it.
To add to these problems all the villains of the world have banded together and have begun an all-out attack on the forces of good. As heroes begin to fall and the destruction spreads, it seems that the end of the world may finally be at hand.
Except that group that thought they had made a mistake… they had a solution. It would mean the end of this new time line, but wasn’t the world they left behind better than the one that they created?
-----
To start off there is something about this book that kept me reading. At times , unless you’re a comic book fan, the story bounces around so much and references events that the reader may or may not be familiar with that it can make one’s eyes start to glaze over. I know mine did a couple of times, usually when the author is trying to explain why this particular encounter is important or why that event is causing this character to act like they are.
The main story itself is pretty exciting and keeps the action moving. There are enough twist and turns to keep even a causal comic book fan like myself guessing and there is even a couple of plot points that can make you think about the story in a different light. Before you read this I would definitely check out the Crisis on Infinite Earth’s book so that the story makes a little more sense. It doesn’t hurt if you have seen some of the recent animated movies either. I would recommend this to any one that wants to find out what happened after the Infinite Crisis and those who like fast paced action adventure books in general. M.ac.
August 1, 2016
Really more of a 2.5. I very much wanted to like this book. It brought together the consequences of the Infinity Crisis (DC's attempt to streamline their comic universe) and the Identity Crisis (which I thought was one of the more thought provoking and well written comic series).
The essence of this story is thus: The main heroes of DC Universe (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) have become distrustful of one another. Because of recent events, Batman does not trust other heroes to do the right thing (creating a computer satellite to monitor all superhuman activity)... Superman has taken a step back from the rest of the world and no longer inspires as he once did... and Wonder Woman has just killed a villain in cold blood (which was broadcast to the world). Three heroes from alternate timelines who managed to survive the Infinity Crisis have seen the dark turn that heroes in this reality have taken and decide to attempt to return Earth to what they see as a better world. Chaos ensues.
The story is, at heart, decent and the stakes are high enough that it makes sense all of Earth's heroes become involved. The small insights into the true humanity of some of the characters is nice to see and their sacrifice adds a bit to the story as well.
HOWEVER... There are just too damn many characters. Honestly, every character in the DC universe and some who I believe never made it out of brainstorming meetings are in this book. As someone who has not read even a significant portion of the comic offerings out there, I was almost overwhelmed by the sheer volume of characters, the descriptions of their powers (many seemed very similar), and the occasional thumbnail sketches of their backstories. Sometimes, there were so many, they were presented merely as a list. There were times when I had to reread pages to understand who was saying what dialogue as character after character was introduced and casually threw out their ideas and thoughts. This likely made more sense in the pages of comics, but made reading it more difficult than the subject matter warranted.
Long story short, if like DC superheroes, AND you don't mind forgetting/not caring about a large number of super-powered entities losing their lives and can follow stories with a fair number of perspective jumps and ill-explained disappearances and reappearances, go ahead and read this.
The essence of this story is thus: The main heroes of DC Universe (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) have become distrustful of one another. Because of recent events, Batman does not trust other heroes to do the right thing (creating a computer satellite to monitor all superhuman activity)... Superman has taken a step back from the rest of the world and no longer inspires as he once did... and Wonder Woman has just killed a villain in cold blood (which was broadcast to the world). Three heroes from alternate timelines who managed to survive the Infinity Crisis have seen the dark turn that heroes in this reality have taken and decide to attempt to return Earth to what they see as a better world. Chaos ensues.
The story is, at heart, decent and the stakes are high enough that it makes sense all of Earth's heroes become involved. The small insights into the true humanity of some of the characters is nice to see and their sacrifice adds a bit to the story as well.
HOWEVER... There are just too damn many characters. Honestly, every character in the DC universe and some who I believe never made it out of brainstorming meetings are in this book. As someone who has not read even a significant portion of the comic offerings out there, I was almost overwhelmed by the sheer volume of characters, the descriptions of their powers (many seemed very similar), and the occasional thumbnail sketches of their backstories. Sometimes, there were so many, they were presented merely as a list. There were times when I had to reread pages to understand who was saying what dialogue as character after character was introduced and casually threw out their ideas and thoughts. This likely made more sense in the pages of comics, but made reading it more difficult than the subject matter warranted.
Long story short, if like DC superheroes, AND you don't mind forgetting/not caring about a large number of super-powered entities losing their lives and can follow stories with a fair number of perspective jumps and ill-explained disappearances and reappearances, go ahead and read this.
February 14, 2009
I have always loved Superman and Batman from DC but I was mainly a Marvel, Sonic the hedgehog, and TMNT fan growing up. Back when they killed off Superman I just couldn't get into the comics anymore. Mainly because of that but also the companies were starting to take Batman and some other heroes into the graphic novels and I just couldn't go that route. Then I saw this book called Infinite Crisis that came out within the past year.
Of course I have heard of Crisis on Infinite Earths and this book Infinite Crisis which happens sometime after C.O.I.E. I pick it up to read because I wanted to find out what I missed since 1993. This book picks up with four heroes trapped in limbo since the original "Crisis on Infinite Earths." These four heroes Kal-L aka Earth-2 Superman, his wife Lois Lane, Alexander Luthor from Earth-3 and Superboy Prime come up with the idea of bringing back Earth-2 because Lois is dying and Kal-L has the idea that if E-2 is brought back she will live. In the process they try to get help from Batman and Power Girl who is also a native to E-2. While on our Earth Batman, Wonder Woman, & Superman are feuding because of Wonder Woman killing, Superman losing faith, and Batman creating Big Eye to keep an eye on the super people of the world.
Of course not everything goes right as you can guess. I loved every minute of this book but I still haven't picked up any comics since but that's not the fault of the authors but because I have become more of a book person now then a comic book person. The characters are well developed and it continues the story that C.O.I.E. left off with.
Of course I have heard of Crisis on Infinite Earths and this book Infinite Crisis which happens sometime after C.O.I.E. I pick it up to read because I wanted to find out what I missed since 1993. This book picks up with four heroes trapped in limbo since the original "Crisis on Infinite Earths." These four heroes Kal-L aka Earth-2 Superman, his wife Lois Lane, Alexander Luthor from Earth-3 and Superboy Prime come up with the idea of bringing back Earth-2 because Lois is dying and Kal-L has the idea that if E-2 is brought back she will live. In the process they try to get help from Batman and Power Girl who is also a native to E-2. While on our Earth Batman, Wonder Woman, & Superman are feuding because of Wonder Woman killing, Superman losing faith, and Batman creating Big Eye to keep an eye on the super people of the world.
Of course not everything goes right as you can guess. I loved every minute of this book but I still haven't picked up any comics since but that's not the fault of the authors but because I have become more of a book person now then a comic book person. The characters are well developed and it continues the story that C.O.I.E. left off with.
July 23, 2014
كده الواحد ابتدي يفهم ... في عالم دي سي فيه تلات ازمات مرة بيهم الكون.
الازمة الاولانية هي
Crisis on Infinite Earths
ودي كانت مملة جداً وخد بالك انها بتمر اصلاً فى وقت الكتابة فيه كانت مملة ...
بعد ما انقذوا العالم .. واتسجن فى سجن ابدي اليكس لوثر اللى كان طيب... وسوبرمان بتاع ايرث 2 و سوبر بوي بتاع ايرث برايم ... ولويس لين بتاعت ايرث 2
حيقرروا انهم لازم يطلعوا من السجن ويرجعوا الارض علشان ينقذوها من القرف اللى بتمر بيه...
طبعاً كان لازم اقرا المقدمة اللى هي
The OMAC Project
اللى بتتكلم ليه العالم بقى مكان وحش جداً وكل الابطال بقوا ناس وحشة..
عامة مشوقة . جميلة .. فيه تركيز اكتر علي الدراما والاثارة وده شىء انا بحبه فى الكوميكس. غيرت وجهة نظري بعد ما كنت واخد قرار اني مش حقرا تاني حاجة غير باتمان.. حتخليني اكمل بقية الروايات
حاجة عبقرية ان سوبر بوي ايرث برايم يبقي شرير فشيخ كده... علي فكرة فعلاً افشخ اشرار فى عالم دي سي هما الابطال نفسهم لما يتقلبوا علي بعض .. زي اينجاستس علي سبيل المثال
Injustice: Gods Among Us #1
يلا انا حرجع اقرا الاو ام ايه سي بروجيكت .. وبعدين اخش علي
Countdown to Final Crisis, Vol. 1
العب بقي
الازمة الاولانية هي
Crisis on Infinite Earths
ودي كانت مملة جداً وخد بالك انها بتمر اصلاً فى وقت الكتابة فيه كانت مملة ...
بعد ما انقذوا العالم .. واتسجن فى سجن ابدي اليكس لوثر اللى كان طيب... وسوبرمان بتاع ايرث 2 و سوبر بوي بتاع ايرث برايم ... ولويس لين بتاعت ايرث 2
حيقرروا انهم لازم يطلعوا من السجن ويرجعوا الارض علشان ينقذوها من القرف اللى بتمر بيه...
طبعاً كان لازم اقرا المقدمة اللى هي
The OMAC Project
اللى بتتكلم ليه العالم بقى مكان وحش جداً وكل الابطال بقوا ناس وحشة..
عامة مشوقة . جميلة .. فيه تركيز اكتر علي الدراما والاثارة وده شىء انا بحبه فى الكوميكس. غيرت وجهة نظري بعد ما كنت واخد قرار اني مش حقرا تاني حاجة غير باتمان.. حتخليني اكمل بقية الروايات
حاجة عبقرية ان سوبر بوي ايرث برايم يبقي شرير فشيخ كده... علي فكرة فعلاً افشخ اشرار فى عالم دي سي هما الابطال نفسهم لما يتقلبوا علي بعض .. زي اينجاستس علي سبيل المثال
Injustice: Gods Among Us #1
يلا انا حرجع اقرا الاو ام ايه سي بروجيكت .. وبعدين اخش علي
Countdown to Final Crisis, Vol. 1
العب بقي
February 12, 2023
"Infinite Crisis" by Greg Cox has garnered mixed reactions from readers. On the one hand, the idea behind the book is intriguing, taking the consequences of the "Infinity Crisis" and "Identity Crisis" events to a whole new level by featuring the main heroes of the DC Universe. The high stakes make for an engaging read for fans of the genre.
However, the book can feel bogged down by too many plotlines and characters, leading to an imbalanced focus. The sheer number of characters can be overwhelming, with extensive descriptions of their powers and backgrounds. The book also includes scenes from the original 7 issue miniseries as well as multiple tie-in comics, which can be confusing for some readers.
As a reader, I found the book to be enjoyable, but also a bit confusing. The volume of characters and perspective shifts can make it difficult to keep up. It is better suited for those who are already familiar with the DC Universe and are comfortable navigating a large cast of characters. For those new to the DC Universe, this book might not be the best starting point.
In conclusion, "Infinite Crisis" by Greg Cox is a fun read for fans of the DC Universe who don't mind navigating a complex web of characters and plotlines. However, those who are new to the genre or prefer a more focused and straightforward read might want to look elsewhere.
However, the book can feel bogged down by too many plotlines and characters, leading to an imbalanced focus. The sheer number of characters can be overwhelming, with extensive descriptions of their powers and backgrounds. The book also includes scenes from the original 7 issue miniseries as well as multiple tie-in comics, which can be confusing for some readers.
As a reader, I found the book to be enjoyable, but also a bit confusing. The volume of characters and perspective shifts can make it difficult to keep up. It is better suited for those who are already familiar with the DC Universe and are comfortable navigating a large cast of characters. For those new to the DC Universe, this book might not be the best starting point.
In conclusion, "Infinite Crisis" by Greg Cox is a fun read for fans of the DC Universe who don't mind navigating a complex web of characters and plotlines. However, those who are new to the genre or prefer a more focused and straightforward read might want to look elsewhere.
June 8, 2016
So many characters!! I didn't know how many characters were around for DC before the New 52.
The story was great. It got a little confusing and I am sure I will enjoy it more the second time I read it.
My favorite character was Superboy prime. He was an excellent Villain. He went crazy very fast. It shows how dangerous superman could be if he chose not to be a hero.
My least favorite character was Alexander Luther. I thought Earth 3 Luther was suppose to be a good guy. I am interested to see if there are any other stories that show his transition to villain. They did not explain it very well in the book.
There were so many heroes in this book that it is hard to choose a favorite hero. I liked How they used Nightwing even though his character was not involved in the story until the end. His relationship with firestar was used to show that the "New" universe was doomed because even those two couldn't find happiness together. Then his character was used later by batman to show that his earth was not completely doomed because Nightwing was better off than the Dick Grayson of Earth-2. So, I guess Nightwing was my favorite hero in the book.
I would recommend this only to people who are already exposed to DC superhero stories.
The story was great. It got a little confusing and I am sure I will enjoy it more the second time I read it.
My favorite character was Superboy prime. He was an excellent Villain. He went crazy very fast. It shows how dangerous superman could be if he chose not to be a hero.
My least favorite character was Alexander Luther. I thought Earth 3 Luther was suppose to be a good guy. I am interested to see if there are any other stories that show his transition to villain. They did not explain it very well in the book.
There were so many heroes in this book that it is hard to choose a favorite hero. I liked How they used Nightwing even though his character was not involved in the story until the end. His relationship with firestar was used to show that the "New" universe was doomed because even those two couldn't find happiness together. Then his character was used later by batman to show that his earth was not completely doomed because Nightwing was better off than the Dick Grayson of Earth-2. So, I guess Nightwing was my favorite hero in the book.
I would recommend this only to people who are already exposed to DC superhero stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2014
A novelization of a DC comic storyline that spans the whole DC universe. In this story, the Justice League is arguing with each other and at the same time villains are in cahoots as they devise their plots. Meanwhile, characters from Crisis On Infinite Earths are watching these events and they come to the conclusion something has to be done. I strongly advise one read that book to understand the events in this book.
I enjoyed this novel. I thought the author did a great job with the characters. I am not a diehard DC fan and I did not know all of the characters. The author made sure if you are not a diehard fan that you would not be lost in reading this book. If you are a diehard fan I believe you will enjoy all the characters in this book. I believe everyone is mentioned.
The action was nonstop as one would expect in this type of book. The author brought to life the fight scenes. He also brought up moral issues that made you think while progressing the DC storyline. The twist and turns enticed me that I did not want to put the book down.
This is an excellent read and if you are a fan of superhero novels I would recommend this one.
I enjoyed this novel. I thought the author did a great job with the characters. I am not a diehard DC fan and I did not know all of the characters. The author made sure if you are not a diehard fan that you would not be lost in reading this book. If you are a diehard fan I believe you will enjoy all the characters in this book. I believe everyone is mentioned.
The action was nonstop as one would expect in this type of book. The author brought to life the fight scenes. He also brought up moral issues that made you think while progressing the DC storyline. The twist and turns enticed me that I did not want to put the book down.
This is an excellent read and if you are a fan of superhero novels I would recommend this one.
November 8, 2007
A version of Lex Luther is trying to find the perfect Earth while Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman deal with some problems they created (namely the spy satelite that Batman created and the murder comitted by Wonder Woman on international television).
I found this book to be very confusing. It jumped around too much and had way too many characters in it. It looks like every DC character ever created has a major role in this book. The reader does not get a good feel for what is going on with many of the characters. The character development is lousy. I've enjoyed most of the other Batman related books that I have read even the ones that brought in DC characters that I wasn't overly familiar with, but this one, no, it just didn't work for me because I don't feel like I've gotten to know any of the characters that well. In the end I didn't much care for any of them, even Batman. For someone not familiar with the DC Comics, this is a terrible book to read for that.
I found this book to be very confusing. It jumped around too much and had way too many characters in it. It looks like every DC character ever created has a major role in this book. The reader does not get a good feel for what is going on with many of the characters. The character development is lousy. I've enjoyed most of the other Batman related books that I have read even the ones that brought in DC characters that I wasn't overly familiar with, but this one, no, it just didn't work for me because I don't feel like I've gotten to know any of the characters that well. In the end I didn't much care for any of them, even Batman. For someone not familiar with the DC Comics, this is a terrible book to read for that.
November 22, 2011
This isn't a novel as so much a Cliff's Notes synopsis of Infinite Crisis in book form. So much happens over the series that you only get the barest bones of what happens, because Cox is trying to cover every single hero and how they react to it. This means we don't see any of the aftermath, and a lot of heroes show up, get maimed or killed, then we never see them again.
This was part of the reason infinite crisis was done-to consolidate all the various DC alternate worlds-but it makes for a bad novel. It doesn't help that the plot itself is absurd even for a comic series, and the alternate worlds make for clunky naming conventions like Superman-2. Cox also doesn't do a brief synopsis of the events that happened before, to set this up, and you need to be a comics fan to understand some of the concepts.
This probably would have been better served by a collection of short stories than a novel. As it is now, I'd say pick up the graphic novel and pass on this.
This was part of the reason infinite crisis was done-to consolidate all the various DC alternate worlds-but it makes for a bad novel. It doesn't help that the plot itself is absurd even for a comic series, and the alternate worlds make for clunky naming conventions like Superman-2. Cox also doesn't do a brief synopsis of the events that happened before, to set this up, and you need to be a comics fan to understand some of the concepts.
This probably would have been better served by a collection of short stories than a novel. As it is now, I'd say pick up the graphic novel and pass on this.
September 11, 2020
I listened to the Graphic Audio rendition of this book. The book was performed exceptionally well and did very good justice to the novelization. After I listened to the book, I re-read the graphic novel and saw just how much more detail and explanation is included in the novelization. The comic has to truncate so much of the action and storyline whereas the novel is allowed to expand upon it. The only criticism was one I saw from a few others is there are times during the book the sound effects and music make it difficult to hear the dialogue. Not overly disruptive but if you have difficulty discerning speech with background noise, it may make the book difficult to understand. I am really starting to enjoy the graphic audio versions of these stories. This is the third I've listened to.
September 26, 2010
After absorbing the graphic novel version of Infinite Crisis, which was a great way to bring the DC Multiverse back, I found Greg Cox's novelization. I found it to be quite well-written, and the descriptions were much more detailed than even the graphic novel. I applaud him for gonig above and beyond the source material. He even added some details that, while minor, added quite a bit of spice to this version. You felt more for the characters, as I think they were written better. Details of past issues were not only touched upon, they were explained in greater detail. All in all, if you liked Infinite Crisis, read the novelization.
November 20, 2010
Not a bad novelization of the comics. There is definitely plenty of action and the sheer amount of deaths reminded me of Crisis when I first read it when it was coming out on the stands. That being said the author definitely missed some good opportunities to flesh out the mood and feelings of the characters. There are moments when you could just almost identify with the anguish and pain of a superhero but it would fall short in the end. And Superboy Prime, now that's a bad mambyjamy who I think may make a comeback sometime later unlike um err Alex........ The ending is seriously messed up but fitting.
January 28, 2013
Although it was a slow-starter for me, this book was a lot of fun. It is he novelization of a multi-issue series where a Lex Luthor from a parallel existance tries to restore the Earth-2 that was merged with all the other worlds in the "Crisis on Infinte Earths." Like he did with the Khan novels from Star Trek, Cox throws in everything. All the DC super heroes make at least a cameo appearance. I did not read the comic book version of the story, so I don't know how closely he held to it, but I'm willing to bet that it was quite close. If you like super heroes and know anything about the DC universe(s), this one is great.
August 19, 2007
What should have been a fun, insane read somehow was turned into an arduous task, filled with thousands of needless and unsuccessful descriptions of characters. If I really wanted to know what Cyborg looked like, I would read the comic! It's a little frustrating that next to no attempt was made to change elements of the story to fit within the written word. Instead, it's pretty much the comic written-out, which is tedious and boring.
If you want to read Infinite Crisis, read the graphic novel. It will be far more pleasing and take far less time.
If you want to read Infinite Crisis, read the graphic novel. It will be far more pleasing and take far less time.
September 28, 2015
As a casual DC comic fan, there were certain heroes and events referenced that went over my head. But it was written well, very interesting and action-packed, and the parts that were out of my understanding didn't hamper the enjoyment I got out of reading the book. I had heard of the infinite crisis and the melding of the multi-verses many times before, so it was awesome to finally read the whole story behind it.
September 3, 2016
Really enjoying my new forays into these graphic novels - Graphic Audio does a fabulous job bringing these stories to life.
Doesn't really matter if you are a diehard DC fan - or you only know a little about the main players - there is enough back story brought into the plot to give everyone a heads up on what is going on. Good mix of character and world building, action and angst...and makes me very glad that I dont live in Gotham City!
Doesn't really matter if you are a diehard DC fan - or you only know a little about the main players - there is enough back story brought into the plot to give everyone a heads up on what is going on. Good mix of character and world building, action and angst...and makes me very glad that I dont live in Gotham City!
Currently reading
October 29, 2010Just picked up this paperback at the new local bookstore. I absolutely love superhero novel adaptations, ever since Roger Stern's awesome The Death and Life of Superman, which is probablt THE definitive Superman novel. But they are so rare to come upon, particularly in ebook format, which is what I mostly read this days...
April 15, 2014
A novelization of an overly convoluted DC Universe comic cross over series - I couldn't have been expecting much.
I was at least expecting some entertainment. Between the writing and the really bad plot line, it was just a chore to get through. Maybe I'm biased as a Marvel person, but I felt that the entire story was cheap.
I was at least expecting some entertainment. Between the writing and the really bad plot line, it was just a chore to get through. Maybe I'm biased as a Marvel person, but I felt that the entire story was cheap.
January 21, 2019
This had an interesting story. It really wasn't anything I was insanely spectacularly.
The mix and match that occurred in prose form was a bit hard to capture at times, and I was wishing for a bit of comic style visual aids.
I think in the end... it had an interesting ending, but nothing I thought was .... well unheard of. What else could have been done?
The mix and match that occurred in prose form was a bit hard to capture at times, and I was wishing for a bit of comic style visual aids.
I think in the end... it had an interesting ending, but nothing I thought was .... well unheard of. What else could have been done?
June 1, 2007
It was a good book. I couldn't put it down, but I still think the comic book version of the series is better because this is just the novelization of the Infinite Crisis mini-series and not all the tie-ins to the series.
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