Why I hate Countdown

[malakim2099]

You know, we keep making comments here about how bad Countdown is. So I figured it deserves, at the end of this long (far too long) year of having Countdown, a breakdown of why it really was horrid. Especially compared to 52.

For me, I think it's the lack of character progression. I mean, really, Mary Marvel goes bad, then is redeemed by the gods. And after accepting their redemption and being happy and everything... she backslides immediately back to evil. And rather cliched evil at that.

Jason Todd? Well, he's a prat at first, then he has some growth experiences culminating at meeting the Batman of Earth-51. The Batman who, when his Jason Todd died, went and killed ALL of Earth-51s supervillains. And was pretty much a cold, emotionless, hollow person. Jason Todd sees this, and does actually tell him off on it. Then the next issue, he goes Whoa, cool I can be Red Robin plz k thx? and then just goes back to being an uberprat, running off with Harley and Holly while the heroes need all the help they can get.

I'm sure there's others... but that's what leaps out to my mind. Anyone else?

[yerfuneral]

I thought Countdown was dragged down to much by having to have a good understanding of DC History; even Elsewhere stuff of all things. DC tried to help with multiple special issues and a full collection of Kirby's Fourth World Stuff but an event this size and commitment it is better for people to not have to buy a whole bunch of other stuff to really get something out of the series. In the end Countdown comes off to much like like the Strident episode of Smallville where the story suffers by becoming to much of a commercial for other things.

52 didn't have that kind of problem. It was filling in a year long period of the DC Universe. It wasn't bogged down with bringing back history and didn't have the need of a load of outside material to really explore anything. It was built more around newer characters or old characters in new situations. Without really any distraction besides telling these peoples stories. Hence a bigger enjoyment out of the Harley/Holly and Trickster/Piper stories for me in Countdown.

[fox007]

I really didnt mind Mary Marvel story. and seein her rip a new one on kyle and donna was a plus. The Darksied/Orion fight wqas sweet. Yeah it did drag on for a while. but all in all i like it.............RIP Piper,trickster,Karate Kid, Tripcate Girl tricate, the new gods,and joker's daughter.

[NeoShazam]

I dropped it at week 35.

It was extremely predictable as to when there would be a story switch.
What annoys me the most is that I loved a majority of the characters they used but they were going nowhere fast and what I could see wasn't thrilling me. Nowhere near the goodness of 52.

[St-Dumas]

Countdown was long and repetitive and dumb.

Step 1: Go to a different Earth.
Step 2: Not find Ray Palmer.
Step 3: Repeat.

Ugh.

[Orin]

Countdown was long and repetitive and dumb.

Step 1: Go to a different Earth.
Step 2: Not find Ray Palmer.
Step 3: Repeat.

Ugh.

Personally, this was the only part of the story I enjoyed. The Death of the New Gods was better explored in that separate mini. The Search for Ray Palmer was better explored in those separate one-shots. The problem with Countdown was there was too much going on and none of it was going anywhere or making any sense.

The Mary Marvel story sucked. It started well, with Mary now being powerless and alone and trying to cope. And then she made a deal with Black Adam. Not something she would normally do, but she was desperate. And she was more powerful, but the power was corrupting her, and Eclipso wanted to use this power for him/herself. So far so good. But then when they went to Apokolips and Mary fought back and then lost her power and ended up on Themyscira and got her powers back... it got really bad.

The Holly and Harley story was bad from the start. Nobody cares much about Holly. And Harley's only interesting when she's crazy.

Jason Todd is a bad character to begin with, and they did nothing for him. The dynamic between Jason and Donna was fine off the start, but when they introduced Kyle to the mix it just became a pissing contest and made both Jason and Kyle look worse.

And who cares about Jimmy Olsen? Really?

[lancelot]

HUH?

Definitely not missing anything here.

*wallet thanks me*

[St-Dumas]

Piper and Trickster should have gotten more screen time. And their own sitcom.

[kallisti]

HUH?

Definitely not missing anything here.

*wallet thanks me*

Ditto this, DC upset me by changing all my books around with no explanation or reason to do so in my opinion. As such I have steered clear of their "events" whose only real purpose is to make money, not actually tell a good story.

[turdburglar47]

Forerunner. Sucks like a hoover.

[Paradox Factor]

You know the thing that takes the cake for me about Countdown? None of it matters. Look at the end result (Yes, we still have 1 issue I know) Lots of characters killed. No character growth. And 90% of the stuff (The great disaster, the war with the Monarch and the Monitors) really have any impact in whats coming up. Heck, Countdown Arena was a 4 issue money grab. It was fun in a fanboyish way. But it had no impact on anything whatsoever.

[Cuz]

I'm still surprised that countdown had spin offs when the series itself had nothing happening in it...

[petenbailey9]

For me Countdown is like playing in your buddys Dungeons and Dragons game and it kinda sucks but you don't really want to tell him, and you keep showing up week after week..............sigh

[Bubblehead]

For me Countdown is like playing in your buddys Dungeons and Dragons game and it kinda sucks but you don't really want to tell him, and you keep showing up week after week..............sigh


This actually sounds very familiar....I wonder who you'd be chatting about?
:laugh:

[hair10]

I just wanna know when Jimmy Olsen mated with Godzilla and produced offspring?!?!?? :eek:

[St-Dumas]

I just wanna know when Jimmy Olsen mated with Godzilla and produced offspring?!?!?? :eek:

Reality punch.

[gyrapados]

I agree that the story really went nowhere but I guess I just kept hanging on hoping it would.

I was really starting to like Jason Todd as a character but he regressed really quickly and is seems like the progress he made just doesn't matter.

Piper and Trickster were really a highlight of the series but their deaths really don't mean much. To me, neither does Una and Karate Kid or Joker's Daughter. mary marvels' story had potential but totally derailed itself when she became good only to immediately turn evil again. What was the point?

Whereas in 52, we lost the Question (well the original) and then in his place got to see Renee Montoya not only take over the role but really grow into it. Plus we lost Ted Kord before it which really kick started a lot of stuff. And then there's Ralph Dibney's death and reunion with Sue which was sad and touching all at the same time. to me it was so hilarious to see Ralph pull one over on Felix Faust and Neron for that matter.

to me those are far more significant deaths and character progression. Countdown had potential but really fell flat. But to be fair it was funny seeing Superman Prime rip open Monarch's armor. that and when Monarch tried to blow him up by pulling off his face plate and SMP remarked that it "hurt" as it annihilated everything else around them. :)

[DarthDoom]

this story is almost worst then Reed Richards

[Bat-Dude]

I think my Avatar explains why I hate Countdown.

[tchipley]

Reality punch.

Is that the flavor of DC Comics Kool-Aid? :)

[St-Dumas]

Is that the flavor of DC Comics Kool-Aid? :)

Yep. At Marvel, they have Skrull juice.

[Hatut Zeraze]

You know the thing that takes the cake for me about Countdown? None of it matters. Look at the end result (Yes, we still have 1 issue I know) Lots of characters killed. No character growth. And 90% of the stuff (The great disaster, the war with the Monarch and the Monitors) really have any impact in whats coming up. Heck, Countdown Arena was a 4 issue money grab. It was fun in a fanboyish way. But it had no impact on anything whatsoever.

My prediction supports your point that none of it even mattered.

I predict that the changes they did make, get used half-heartedly, at most, and within two years, all of those changes will be ignored, retconned, reversed etc.

Honestly, is there a fanbase out there looking for an evil Mary Marvel? When great writers come to DC ready to work on projects that could involve Mary Marvel, are those writers going to want to work with the evil Mary from a comic no one liked, or are they going to want to work with the classic version from hundreds of better stories?

Let's say Grant Morrison, Keith Giffen, James Robinson, Geof Johns, etc. have an idea for using Red Hood, Kyle Rayner, or Donna Troy in a new comic they want to write. How hard is DC editorial going to stand by this turd of a comic if it turns out to be an obstacle to the ideas of these writers?

Sure, I bet this event gets some lip-service for another year or two, while editorial does the denial dance about this comic's abyssmal quality and fan reaction. After that, though, when the wounds have had time to heal, DC will start reversing and ignoring the supposedly powerful repurcussions from this, the all-time worst event comic DC has ever published.

[ThePancakeMan]

Countdown really was lame. After about issue 40 I skipped anything involving Jimmy Olsen, and the Holly/Harley story was just boring.

Trickster/Piper was so much cooler than I anticipated. Too bad that was cut realitively short. (I had to make a custom Piper with just Trickster's hand hanging from him.)

What exactly is Darkseid planning? He goes on and on about this grand plan but what have no f'n idea what anyone has to do with anything he's doing.

[SimonMoon5]

What exactly is Darkseid planning? He goes on and on about this grand plan but what have no f'n idea what anyone has to do with anything he's doing.

This is Darkseid's plan:

He realized the Source (disguised as the Infinity Man) was going to kill all the New Gods and start over. Darkseid stole the powers of all these dying New Gods and hid them away (in Jimmy Olsen since nobody would think to look there). Then with the help of Project Soulfire, he would be bolstered by all the powers of all the New Gods at an exponential rate which makes him more powerful than the Source itself, which would mean that when the New Gods were to be recreated, he'd be the one with all the power and everyone would have to serve him.

Everything else was either smoke and mirrors or feints to keep people from guessing his true plan or attempts to keep others from interfering with his true plan. I think.