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Those complaints aside, Final Crisis #1 is an engrossing read and an absolutely stunning visual experience. With this issue, Jones steps right alongside Frank Quitely and J.H. Williams as the only artists capable of going step for step and perhaps even surpass Morrison's endlessly manic imagination. At the very least, this is one of the best-looking mainstream comic books you're likely to encounter. Read Full Review

The best solution is simply to allow him the time he needs, however long that might be. Infinite Crisis derailed because DC valued a prompt shipping schedule over a quality product. Final Crisis, despite its various birthing woes, has already proven itself a superior comic in my eyes. I can only hope it will earn better treatment. Read Full Review

Final Crisis is a mysterious and gripping affair. The scope is large, but the story also feels isolated enough to enjoy without a DC Universe Encyclopedia immediately at hand. Even with my love for Grant Morrison, I was ready to write this off as yet another vehicle for ostentatious pageantry- but I've got to admit, even with it's complicated narrative, it's a darn fun read with immeasurable potential. It's going to be fun to see where it all goes. Read Full Review

Final Crisis #1 was a strong set-up issue. Morrison delivers an impressively crafted issue that is well plotted and does its job of setting the stage for what should be one wild ride. I would definitely recommend giving Final Crisis #1 a try. This title has the true epic tale feel to it that is notably lacking on Secret Invasion. Read Full Review

There's a death here, by the way, or perhaps the beginning of one. It's not much of a shocker if you followed the hype and indulged in rumor and supposition. Is it a good death? No, it's actually fairly tame, but the interesting thing is that Libra, the death-dealer, freely admits he's not treating his victim fairly, and in that he illustrates his new, proposed status quo with one sure stroke. It's kind of a snap-shot of the issue. It doesn't look good for the good guys, 'cause the bad guys are playing dirty than ever before. Read Full Review

This isn't just a giant team-up series. It's not a billion heroes from the DC Universe getting together to punch some shadowy bad guys or stop an alien invasion. This is the story of a planet, a universe, coming apart at the seams. It may not really be the "final" crisis, but the first issue makes it feel like it could be. Read Full Review

I'm willing to be forgiving since this is issue #1 and as such needs to be the launchpad for most, if not all, of the threads that will run through the remainder of the event, but I'm deeply cautious that this thing has the potential to rocket the number of hits Wikipedia receives from my IP address through the roof, and that's not a very appetizing prospect. Read Full Review

Countdown, despite all its flaws, was something of a love letter to the late Jack Kirby, "the King of comics." Several plotlines revolved around his DC creations: the Fourth World, Kamandi, OMAC. Obviously, that weekly series was a buildup to this limited series, and it seems to be Morrison's effort to give his creations and stories an ending, not to mention an effort to connect his various ideas together as part of a larger, cohesive tapestry. Truth be told, I was never a huge fan of Kirby's efforts for DC in the 1970s. However, I do appreciate Morrison's modern work a great deal, and the way he's molded and matured Kirby's original concepts has my attention. Read Full Review

I'm not happy with everything in this book, but it looks gorgeous, and with already interesting contrasts and a repeated theme of cleansing fire flowing throughout the book, I will read the next issue with a certain amount of hope, but also uncertainty. Read Full Review

As with all Morrison books, Final Crisis looks as though it's going to require some effort on the part of the reader to engage with his ideas. However, this first issue just doesn't provide enough meat for a casual DC reader like me to really invest in the story, or even to fully grasp the ideas that Morrison is dealing with. There's very little sense of overall coherence yet, and few hints as to where this is all going. Since this is only the opening chapter of a seven-part story, I'm willing to give the book another chance to convince me that there's a story here that's worth following, but this certainly isn't the impressive, arresting opener that you might expect for a big crossover title. Read Full Review

Final words, I suggest this title only if you are a devoted DC Comics readers. If you are a new reader looking for your favourite character to shine I strongly recommend that you try something more streamlined than this insider-only title. Read Full Review

By itself, this issue doesn't really grab you but it does leave hints of greater things in the coming days. Read Full Review

It's not too late for "Final Crisis" to pull out of its botched take-off. But the second issue is going to need to be big. Really big. This isn't a disaster just yet, but six more issues of this caliber and this could spell the end of the sales power for a company event at DC Comics. "Final Crisis", indeed. Read Full Review

I'm going to stick around and see if I can make sense of everything. Hell, maybe I'll learn some stuff about the DC Universe. But judging from the tone of this first issue, I'm going to have to do a lot of homework to make sense of it all. Readers who've followed DC's line of books for years will most likely enjoy this first issue, but for the rest of us, it's unfriendly nature to neophytes may evoke a hostile response. Read Full Review

Those who have read DC for years and have followed both the major and obscure characters should have less of a problem understanding and following this issue. For new readers and casual readers of DC, this may be the straw that breaks the camel's back. This title is very inaccessible to those new readers coming in off the street and buying the Green Lantern cover of this issue. It's even going to cause headaches for those readers who really got into DC last year with "The Sinestro Corps War." I'm sure issue #2 will sell out as well, but if that doesn't bring more cohesion and a more non-DC reader friendly feel, this title may be facing certain doom. Read Full Review

Wow. This was everything I was expecting and just a little bit more. Exceptional beginning to Final Crisis