Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse #18 Review

Written by: Dan Abnett
Art by: August Padilla
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: September 14, 2014

Infinitely Awful

I must be a glutton for punishment.  Last week I pretty much declared that I was done with Infinite Crisis and yet, here I am. I'd like to imagine myself as a soldier who jumps on a live grenade to save his platoon, but this is only a comic book were talking about. However, I have read this issue and I'm going to review it.  Why?  So you guys don't have to.  Yes, this issue is another bad one.  Don't cry for me, someones got to do it.



Last week ended with Alexander Luthor arriving to join the "team".  You see those quotes?  They're there because after eighteen issues, it feels more like a gathering of characters than a team.  I don't fully blame Dan Abnett.  This is a video game tie-in and I'm positive that he was told who would be involved.  I do blame him for not writing them better.  The main culprit is the dialogue.  I've criticized the dialogue week after week and this issue has the same old problems.  Awful dialogue and interactions are on full display and in an issue so speech bubble heavy, that is not good.

The meat of this issue is whether the Heroes should trust Luthor.  They all seem to base their decision on the Luthor of their own Earth. I have to cry shenanigans.  They trust Catwoman.  They trust Zod.  Why then do they have such a big problem with Luthor?  Listen, it won't shock me if he is a villain (and the ending hints at it), but this issue seems inconsistent with everything this book has established.

It gets more ridiculous.  They begrudgingly let him in the group, but let him know that six heroes, including Batman, will watch him and kill him if necessary.  Then they let him come up with the plan of attack and rush off and leave him alone.  Alone!  Way to go Batman.

This issue is just another stinker on the heap.  I really don't like this book and it takes all of me to read it, let alone review it.  The dialogue and interactions are just not good and the overall story was never that interesting but has become convoluted and ridiculous. Oh well, I'll be back again next week to complain again.

I won't complain about August Padilla's art which I really like.  For the second issue in a row, he doesn't get much action, but his character work is pretty good.  It's a shame the story isn't as good as the art.

Bits and Pieces:

I really don't know who would like this issue or book for that matter.  It's an uninteresting story with awful dialogue and poor characterizations.  August Padilla's nice art can't save the day and this book should really just disappear from existence.  That being said, I'll be back again next week because I have to.  If you don't have to, do yourself a favor and don't read this book.

2.0/10