Solicitations : To save the woman he loves, the greatest hero of all time becomes the pawn of ultra-dimensional forces when a wounded emissary from a world of doomed super gods comes to Earth on the eve of the Final Crisis. His mission: To recruit Superman’s help against an epic, reality-spanning menace that originated in the Crisis on Infinite Earths!
Join the Man of Steel and his alternate-earth counterparts for a mind-blowing voyage to the edge of the DC Universe " and beyond! Can these super champions overcome their differences to beat the clock, find the ultimate treasure and save all existence from extinction?
Written by Grant Morrison Art by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy
Synopsis : We start of with Kal-El getting blasted by energy beams and being told that he does not have a chance to save his wife. He is also told that he cannot match the eternal power this being possesses. We start where we left off at Final Crisis Issue 3 with Superman sitting with Lois. The Monitor who asks him to leave immediately is Zillo Villa (we saw her in the first issue of Final Crisis consoling Weeja Dell after the expulsion of Nix Uaton). Zillo has invented a "Chrono Paralyzer" which freezes time on Universe-0. Superman joins her on the quest to recruit the greatest heroes of the Multiverse in a bid to save the Monitors because if they fall , they take existence with them.
The only way that Kal-El can save Lois is by the possession of "Bleed", which according to Villa can only be possessed by The Monitors of Nil and nonbody else. I'm sure Superman likes his chances. He is also told to upgrade to 4-D Vision. Yikes !
We are introduced to Captain Marvel Of Earth-5 (Billy Batson) , Quantum Superman Of Earth-4 (Captain Allen), Nazi Superman of Earth-X.Allen seems to be controlling the navigational system. Ultraman is on an unneeded rampage (He is from the Anti-Matter Universe). Their ship is falling onto Earth-20 which has a population of over 2.3 Billion. They drop of the ship on Universe-51 which is The Graveyard Universe (Nix was the Monitor of this Universe before his expulsion).
Ultraman seems to like pissing everyone off, which he does effectively. Villa tells Herr Superman that there is only one way to replenish the beating engine at which he is shocked..Ultraman says that it is all a scheme and "Ultimate" means one treasure and they will all have to fight to achieve this treasure.The Nazi Superman notes that the symphony and the Music is gone at which Allen notes that they are outside the Universe in a little place Mr.Morrison loves - Limbo !
They are welcomed by Merry Man, who is the King Of Limbo. Everyone in Limbo are the people who are forgotten, Merryman was a hero once but he was forgotten. Note that Ace The Bat Hound is here too.Superman wonders if this is what happens when "we" (Is this Morrison being Meta-Physical and sating that Superman knows that he is in a story and "death" means an end of need in a story. It is a very interesting choice of words to use for Superman.) die.
Captain Marvel has found the Shard of Eternity but everyone is starting to forget their purpose here as they are being forgotten due to their presence in Limbo. Merryman tells them about a Library which has just one book and is written by a Monkey, with no start nor end (Does anyone remember that Animal Man #24 by Grant had a cover of a monkey typing stuff. So the Monkey is a personification Of a Writer ?).
Superman and Captain Marvel deduce that the book must contain everything and The Memory of their ship can download it and read it, hence getting instructions for its repair so that can get back into the Multiverse.
Previously, There was Monitor Only! And Then ! Then is a flaw found at the heart of Monitor Perfection!
OK , according to me the concept of "then" being a flaw says that time was a flaw in Monitor perfection (which is also noted by the Monitors at the end of Final Crisis issue 1, time has crept into the Monitor world from the germ worlds.)
Monitor makes a concept to contain this flaw (is that continuity ?) , Monitor examination reveals within terrifying, unforeseen complexities and contradictions (Lack of continuity and mix up ?). Magnification reveals a structure of infinitesimal rippling manifolds upon whose surface intricate germ like processes thrive and multiply (The Germ World, the people of the multiverse i think), Superman and Captain marvel are having trouble comprehending something inside which the whole Multiverse grows, they guess that it is an Abstract Infinite Intelligence
Monitor extends a probe... designed to blend with the surroundings, the probe secures contact !... With something monitor has never before encountered ! Inside the flaw- A Chaotic Froth of Events ! Lives.Deaths.Heroes.Villains.Lovers. (So is Existence and Life a Flaw ? Interesting. Doesn't Blackest Night deal with this. Seeds on a grander scale are sown here it seems.) Stories.
With no precedent for the Concept "Story"!... No understanding of the damage "Story" might do to an Immense awareness without limits or definition.... ... Monitor has Zero Defenses (This is exactly how the Monitors seem to be behaving). Blinded in two, The Probe Withdraws! The flaw is sealed, scabbed over with divine metals (scabbed over with Bleed ?)
Made Safe. Until all that remains of that Ill-Fated First Contact is a vast,uncanny form. The mystery of the silent sentinel (I have a theory of what this sentinel is , I'll explain in Issue 2) haunts Monitor, infects the immaculate intelligence with questions, speculations, pestilential, crawling narratives. Legend takes Root. and story, like contagion, spreads unchecked !
Becomes this history of a once-might Race Of Hyper Gods, direct descendants of the first immense and unknowable Monitor! This Epic elegy for a doomed civilization, declining from splendor to squalor (This seems to be the fall of the Monitors) This Final Crisis. This last ditch attempt to save creation itself from a loathing and greed beyond measure ! But First. Eons pass of peace and plenty while the haunting relic of first contact rusts, neglected. It has always been, it will always be. Yet its shadow shadow grows ever longer, ever colder in a deepening twilight. After extensive study, the circle of Monitors make its evaluation (So the Sentinel is a weapon that will be used against the Greed as Monitor did not have defenses against it ?)
Dread Of The Thing Grows. Rumor Spreads. Only on the last day will it yield up its secrets, it is said.Only then will the gift of Novu's final Gift be understood. Dax Novu, The Radiant one, The First son of Monitor and bravest of the science gods. Novu, whose brilliant, rebel intellect first probed the flaw and mapped its horrors. Who wrestled the Angel of Contamination! Who brought knowledge of the riches to the bleed! He who gave his life to chain the beast in darkness! Who knew the day of holocaust would come again! Deep within the Sepulchre Of Mandrakk there is a restless stirring. In the plague pit, The Prime eater of life senses its freedom.
Suddenly they fall and the story closes, Billy has forgotten his word and he is a little boy and Merryman tells them that nothing makes sense. Superman says he will be back for the Book.Merryman wants to come back saying that he has a talent for Gritty Drama no one has ever used. Allen's drugs are wearing off , his intelligence is going towards the infinite. Superman's wits are failing. Superman demands information from Zillo and is shocked to see that she is using Nazi Superman's blood to power the ship (or is she drinking it ?). It seems that the good end did not happen. Mandrakk is rising. The sky shatters and Ultraman holds the book saying that he has proof that Evil wins in the end, thats what the end says.
To Be Continued........
Review : This is really those sort of things i just can't explain in words. Its something you have to read to understand. Just Mind-blowing folks. The story is complex and yet simplistic. This is Grant at his Ultimate best. I know nearly everyone, including myself were confused and disoriented at the start but reading this along with Issue 2 really helps the experience and I Wish DC had gone with the route of releasing this wholly as a One Shot in the skip Month (80 Page Story would have been an amazing add.). I can review this better while finishing off Issue 2. To Those who read it, I salute you. This is Outstanding
Story : 9.6
Art : 9.3
Superman does not Care !
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