If you are a fan of those kind of theories, you might give the book more then the three stars I gave it. I read the event before with Absolute Infinite Crisis ( review here) and loved it, but rereading the entire event with all of the supplemental lead-up, is a completionist's wet-dream. It's also impressive how elegantly this series spins off any number of new series: Checkmate, Secret Six, Shadowpact, and Blue Beetle in particular. This finale nicely wraps up the current status of Checkmate and gives a great conclusion to Sasha Bordeaux, but is a bit long in its mindless fighting with OMAC [3+/5]. However, I had heard alot of people ponting out that the main event was seriously bogged down by references to other storylines and tie-ins that had preceded it.

But if a reader gets acquainted with, at least, CoIE, Identity Crisis, Countdown to Infinity Crisis, The OMAC project, and JLA-Crisis of Conscience, he should really enjoy this. It must be pretty frustrating for more casual readers to make heads or tail of Infinite Crisis itself, though, without all these tie-ins, and I can see why some people might be turned off it without those supporting reads. I think my pre-crisis highlight was the Brubaker/Rucka run of Batman or Gotham Central, but I also loved Emerald Twilight and the Death of Superman. I'm all for an epic battle and if talking does not work, then let's fight, but we don't have to start there. The way in which DC incorporates editorial change and commentary into the narrative of their universe may seem convoluted and annoying to many, but I think it really works in this case.The main series awesome—some really impressive crowd scenes, a powerful way to make a sequel on a classic, and some genuine emotion. These all get answers, but not before a myriad of events lead up to it, only adding even more mystery and suspense to the overall most important question: What the Hell is wrong with the Justice League? I do think that having read recent comics before the event will make the read much more enjoyable as the trinity's fight will be much more powerful and their point of view much more understandable (especially Batman).

There has also been some decrying of how the Trinity is characterized during this period; that they are presented to the reader as having too many flaws, ad that that compromises their heroism and role as someone to aspire to. mostly the Superboy Prime stuff and the fates of the other alternate universe heroes left over from Crisis on Infinite Earths. The individual arcs were nice enough but the way it all ties together for infinite crisis was great.And in the middle of it all, a critical moment has divided Earth’s three greatest heroes: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

There was alot of depth to alot of these stories, and it really put the Trinity through the ringer, and made them have to come to terms with some of their darkest moments and decisions, and alot of previous stories and decisions are quite masterfully weaved into this crisis. I haven't read Crisis on Infinite Earth, but I thought that enough background and explanations were given not to be too lost in the main event.

After six issues of this, the story anticlimaxes, sacrificing any conclusion upon the altar of Infinite Crisis. I am a character loyalist, but of course I want to be prepared to understand the full story (as best I can) that will have maximum impact.

The only thing this volume has going for it is the formation of Shadowpact, one of several Justice League Magic's that DC has attempted, none of which have lasted long. It was a crazy ride from start to finish, and a more than worthwhile event that did indeed shape that which had yet to come. That problem begins with the book's intro, which info-dumps a pile of confusing information from Adam Strange: Planet Heist.Aside fron Crisis on Infinite Earths and Identity Crisis (and one should really read those previously to get the most of this), it includes everything you need to fully enjoy this massive event.