Broken Frontier

After last week’s abysmal issue of Countdown, we finally get a decent story with Countdown #19. But just because it’s that Yuletide season, dear reader, don’t think for a moment that things are absolutely cheerful in the DCU. The plot thickens much to the chagrin of several of the characters.

Piper and Trickster make a triumphant return in this issue – well, Trickster is as triumphant as a corpse can be. Together they trudge through the desert, while Holly and Harley find a new ally on Paradise Island. The new Challengers take a break on Earth-51, and are very close to discovering the whereabouts of Ray Palmer, and Jimmy Olsen makes a few new discoveries for himself.

This week’s issue of Countdown is certainly a breath of fresh air after last week’s deplorable story. Some questions are answered in this book, but new ones arrive in the end. But isn’t that what a book like Countdown is supposed to do anyway?

Dini and Bedard work their magic this time around. Though it certainly won’t win an Eisner award alone, storytelling like this should be the standard of every issue of Countdown. The interaction between Pied Piper and the recently-deceased Trickster is amusing as well as intriguing. It makes the reader wonder if this was really the end of James Jesse. The only problem with recent issues, including this one, is that much of the story feels like it’s missing. This is due to the recent spin-offs that have been popping up, such as Countdown: Arena and the like. To get the full experience, one would have to buy every last Countdown spin-off or tie-in.

In the way of art, Jesus Saiz returns to Countdown once more to demonstrate his ability. He certainly has talent and I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes a DC regular after the Final Crisis hits.

I don’t usually write much about the colorists in comics, but I must give praise to Pete Pantazis this week. The transitions between settings and moods are highlighted by the colors in this issue. You can nearly feel the warmth of the desert that Piper is trudging through, and then you’re in a diner on a cold December evening with Jason Todd and the gang on Earth-51.

So all in all, I’d say that this week’s story was definitely a step or five above the one we got last week. If DC can stay on this upswing through Final Crisis, I’ll be one happy geek.