So you actually read modern mainstream DC books expecting something other than stupid resolutions? I think a DC book is only noteworthy if it manages to not be resolved in an utterly stupid way, which is rare since Didio took over.

And Marvel books are so much better?

Maybe Mary recovers after Supergirl beats her senseles, and MM ends up working with Freddy again.

Oh, and Freddy is calling himself Shazam, since that's his NEW magic word. Gotta keep that tradition alive... maybe he should call himself Fred.

Billy Batson? He's calling himself "Marvel" now. I wonder what Joe Q had to say about that... is it a handshake deal with DiDio, maybe?

You figure the end of a 52 issue series is a fair point to complain about things that happened in that series, right?

So no "You can't knock it, because it may be revealed months from now that it is all a twist!"

If a twist comes from a separate writer, is that even a twist?

Since I have a lot of respect for him as a creator, I want to believe that much of the story was editorially mandated and he just attempted to connect the dots for a nice-sized paycheck. Remember how exciting it was to hear that Paul Dini was writing a weekly comic book? Or remember this promo image: http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/Countdown/countdown_t.jpg
How many of those characters (especially the ones front-and-center) actually played a role that was more than a cameo appearance at Black Canary's bachelorette party?

The lesson of Countdown, comes from the difference between this project and the more successful, more acclaimed 52:

52: What four highly-accomplished writers (Morrison, Waid, Rucka, and Johns), working close together and limited editorial control, can do with C-list characters

Versus…

Countdown: What five good, but less accomplished writers (McKeever, Beechen, Bedard, Palmiotti, Gray) working seperately from editorially-mandated plots can do with C-list characters

The difference isn’t all that surprising, is it?

Luckily it seems with Busiek/Bagley Trinity with have a more cohesive hand...

Countdown was the opposite - the characters served the plot, the plot went nowhere (full issues tied into other DC events and very little to do with the story), and entire Earths were destroyed for no reason at all.

I hope Trinity falls closer to 52 than it does to Countdown, but (Busiek fan though I am), I don't expect it to reach the highs of the first series.

First "52", now this, and "Trinity" to follow.

On the one hand, "Trinity" gets what was critically missing from the prior two series - DC's Holy Trinity. But over 70+ years of pages and continuity, DC's shown they can screw those characters up, too - if given the chance.

i think it would be a bigger crap on the character of darkseid to have him be fooled by mary marvel.

I don't know.

I think I would rather be fooled by Mary Marvel than have my ass handed to me by... [gulp]... Jimmy Olsen?!?

You know, I'm kind of glad I stayed out of this whole Countdown fiasco; but now I'm wondering which way the pendulum will swing with Trinity (and DC isn't even saying what it's about, only that Supes, Bats & Wondy are in it). I know this is fodder for another column, but I'd be interested to know how you guys feel about the series.

It’s like a writer can’t even have a plot twist anymore, because he’ll be pilloried for the zig that comes before the zag a month or two later.

Isn't that exactly what the writers want, though? I mean, if people are angry because they fell for your plot misdirection, then you've done what you set out to do.

It seems like it almost HAS to be an editorially driven reverse course to prepare for Final Crisis. Otherwise, it's some of the worst storytelling I've ever seen. How do you pay off 48 issues of character development and then just haphazardly do a reverse course? That's absolutely insane.

The other Marvel Family members have been busy off in The Trials of Shazam, with Billy taking over for the dead (well, deader) wizard and Junior going through various tests and what-not to become Captain Marvel. So, yeah, sadly, they've been otherwise occupied while Mary's been going bad.