DCU Comic Book Reviews

FINAL CRISIS: REVELATIONS #1

Part One

October 2008

Written by Greg Rucka

Pencils by Philip Tan

Inks by Jonathan Glapion, Jeff de los Santos, Walden Wong

Covers by Philip Tan

Synopsis

In the aftermath of the death of the Martian Manhunter, the Spectre seeks vengeance on Dr. Light and Effigy for their role in J’onn’s murder.  At Saint Faustino’s Hospital, nuns pray for the recovery of Sister Clarice, but she decides it is time to let go.  In England, Renee Montoya (aka the Question) fights the Order of the Stone to get onto a boat heading for an expedition in the Atlantic.  Elsewhere, the Spectre seeks vengeance on Libra, who manages to fend off the Spectre, claiming he is eternal and the Spectre has no power over him.  Meanwhile, the Order of the Stone finds what it is looking for:  the Spear of Destiny.  The Question attempts to take it from them, but is stabbed.  Elsewhere, the host of the Spectre, Cris Allen, tells the Spectre he is done, but he can’t ignore the Spectre’s call to seek vengeance against Renee Montoya.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I should start out by saying that I am a fan of Greg Rucka’s work, not only including his comic book work such as Checkmate and Queen and Country, but also the Atticus Kodiak series of novels.  So, I suppose it should be no surprise that I was eagerly awaiting this mini-series, which reunites two characters (Crispus Allen and Renee Montoya) that played such an important part in Rucka’s Gotham Central series.  And despite high expectations, I was not disappointed.  This is great work.  Granted, it is a series of small, establishing scenes that provides background of the main characters and puts them into place at the end, but it works for two reasons.  One, it is a shock to see the Spectre go after super villains, something that we haven’t seen before, but makes perfect sense.  Considering all that Dr. Light has done, it would make sense for Spectre to exact vengeance on him, and others.  Two, Rucka does a great job of establishing the characters and who they are, by showing us Renee’s strength and determination to stop the Order of the Stone and Cris’ predicament of being the Spectre, the wrath of vengeance, which goes against his beliefs of justice as a cop.  I will admit that as someone familiar with the characters, and their past stories in Gotham Central, or 52 or the Lessons of Blood mini-series, I have a deeper understanding of these characters than most, so I probably got more out the issue than newer readers. 

Is it sad to realize that this issue provided more clues and hints as to the identity of Libra than the main Final Crisis series managed to in three issues?  Or, is it a testament to Grant Morrison’s writing that the identity of Libra is not that important in the overall story that he is trying to tell?  Either way, it was a cool little moment that helped to deepen the main series while explaining why Libra can continue to do his evil deeds in the face of the Spectre seeking vengeance. 

My first thought was that it was pretty bold for Dr. Light to have members of the Titans to do, well, whatever it is he was about to do before the Spectre showed up.  But then I realized that they were not the real thing, but women dressed up to look like the Titans.  Just look at the bracelets, “Donna” is wearing.  They are way too big to be real.  Moreover, Raven is dark-haired, not blond like the woman shown.  Actually, in this form, it makes Dr. Light’s perversion even more disgusting and pathetic and the vengeance the Spectre exacts even more justified. 

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