DCU Comic Book Reviews

FINAL CRISIS: RESIST

Resist

December 2008

Written by Grant Morrison

Pencils by Matthew Clark

Inks by Norm Rapmund, Rob Hunter, Don Ho

Covers by Matthew Clark and Rodolfo Migliari

Synopsis

On the Day Evil Won, those that submitted to the anti-life equation of Darkseid attempt to take over a Checkmate facility.  Michael Holt (aka Mr. Terrific) and Taleb Khalid are able to secure themselves and not become infected.  However, Sasha Bourdeaux is infected but rather than submit, she uses the OMAC nanotechnology to put herself to sleep.  Four days later, Snapper Carr enters STAR laboratory and destroys its contents to keep out of Darkseid’s hands.  Carr then returns to the bunker to confer with Holt and Khalid, where they have been trying to build the resistance.  When they receive a message from Firehawk on the Watchtower, Carr goes to investigate, but falls into a trap.  He is saved by Cheetah.  Days later, Carr meets up with Cheetah again. When they are attacked by Gorilla Grodd, Carr saves them both.  When they return, Cheetah express surprise the heroes haven’t got a plan to defeat Darkseid.  Carr tells them they don’t have weapons.  Holt then realizes they do:  Bourdeaux’s OMAC nanotechnology.  Holt wakes her up long enough to get the codes and infect the population.  Around the world, OMACs are created.  Now, they make their stand against Darkseid.   

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

The one thing that often gets overlooked in the creation of comic books is the ability of the editors (or the editorial staff) to find the right artist for the right book.  No matter how talented they are, some people are not meant to create certain types of comics while others are meant for certain type of comics.  If there was one person to write a book about a group of resistance fighters, it would be Greg Rucka.  His previous work, not only with Checkmate but with his Atticus Kodiak novels, is seeped in the intrigue and espionage that is needed for a book like this.  While simply hiring Rucka was a stroke of genius, I have to say that it pays off with a wonderful issue.  I love the set-up and the scenes with Snapper teleporting around the world showed just how bad things have gotten as well as showing just how difficult Terrific’s resistance was going to be if hadn’t remembered the OMACs.  It is a brilliant issue. 

Unlike, say, Rage of The Red Lanterns, this an actual tie-in to Grant Morrison’s Final Crisis as it presents a clear and concise plot point that will lead into the main series and presumably to the defeat of Darkseid.  Moreover, unlike say Final Crisis: Submit, it is more than just a stretched out plot point, but an actual story of characters fighting against long odds to find a way to save the day.  So, with an issue that not connects to the main series but is also a cool story, this is easily one of the best tie-ins Final Crisis has produced. 

Not only is this a wonderful issue on its own right, it and could easily be a continuation of the Checkmate story and, indeed, I love the way this issue brings Rucka’s work in the past few years almost full circle.  Rucka started all of this with the OMAC Project, which introduced the nanotechnology to the population and in turn led the death of Max Lord (and Infinite Crisis), the transformation of Sasha, and eventually to the current formation of Checkmate.  All this issue does is demonstrate what Checkmate should have been like, not the final few issues of the series that we got from Bruce Jones.  In fact, I think we see more of the Checkmate royals in this issue than we did in anything Jones wrote for the main series. 

I do have to wonder:  how did Cheetah get to the Watchtower in the first place?  How did she know the codes to use the teleporters?  Even with the world under Darkseid’s rule, I still have to think it would be difficult for any villain to get up there or leave.  You could argue Firehawk got up there because she is not only a hero, but also under Darkseid’s control (and you would think they would be sharing information). 

Unless I missed it, there was no credits page (and would’ve fit either on the bottom panel of page2/3 or the final page).  According to the DC website, Ryan Sook is the solely credited artist for the story.  This means that either Marco Rudy provided the inks for some of the pages or Marco Rudy provided additional pencils.  Either way, it makes you wonder if the credits were left off on purpose to hide what was done or not done by Sook and Rudy or if someone messed up along the way. 

 

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