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      TEN
      LIS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Sean
      McQuaid
     
    

    
     
      mmertime
      is
      the
      boom
      time
      for
      comics
      sales,
     
     
      i
      a
      favourite
      time
      for
      major
      “‘crossover’’
     
     
      ‘nts
      in
      which
      most
      or
      all
      of
      the
      characters
     
     
      macomics
      company’s
      line
      of
      ongoing
      titles
     
     
      cract
      in
      a
      massive
      storyline.
      These
      stories
     
     
      usually
      touted
      as
      being
      of
      major
      signifi-
     
     
      ice
      to
      the
      company’s
      ongoing
      continuity
      as
     
     
      hole.
      Such
      series
      seldom
      live
      up
      to
      the
      hype,
     
     
      one
      of
      the
      latest
      to
      come
      close
      is
      DC
     
     
      mics’
      Zero
      Hour
      .
     
    

    
     
      After
      roughly
      sixty
      years
      in
      business,
     
     
      ‘
      Comics
      naturally
      has
      one
      of
      the
      richest,
     
     
      st
      complex
      continuities
      in
      the
      medium;
      as
      a
     
     
      ult,
      they
      have
      produced
      some
      of
      the
      most
     
     
      pressive,
      epic-scale
      crossovers
      in
      comics,
     
     
      inning
      with
      1985’s
      infamous
      Crisis
      on
     
     
      nite
      Earth.
     
    

    
     
      Crisis
      chronicled
      a
      cosmic
      cataclysm
     
     
      ulting
      in
      the
      destruction
      and
      recreation
      of
     
     
      ‘universe.
      Though
      time,
      space,
      and
      all
      the
     
     
      er
      things
      we
      mortals
      take
      for
      granted
      were
     
     
      tored
      relative
      normalcy,
      there
      were
      altera-
     
     
      ns
      in
      time,
      so
      DC
      now
      had
      license
      to
      revamp
     
     
      “‘recreate’’
      their
      characters
      with
      anything
     
     
      m
      new
      histories
      to
      a
      new
      costume.
      It
      was
     
     
      ant
      to
      provide
      the
      complex
      (and
      in
      some
     
     
      es
      stagnant)
      DC
      comics
      line
      with
      a
      fresh
     
     
      tt
      and
      a
      simpler,
      more
      accessible
      comics
     
     
      verse.
     
    

    
     
      Alas,
      the
      best
      laid
      plans
      of
      comic
      book
     
     
      tors
      and
      other
      master
      criminals
      frequently
     
     
      astray,
      and
      DC’s
      kinder,
      simpler
      universe
     
     
      ved
      anything
      but.
      Many
      characters
      (includ-
     
     
      ;
      mainstays
      like
      Superman,
      Batman,
      Green
     
     
      ntern
      and
      Wonder
      Woman)
      were
      success-
     
     
      ly
      revamped
      with
      revised
      continuities,
      but
     
     
      DC
      editors
      didn’t
      approach
      these
      renova-
     
    

    
     
      S
      with
      any
      unified
      plan.
      Writers
      and
     
     
      ors
      revamped
      characters
      and
      rewrote
      his-
     
     
      y
      seemingly
      whenever
      they
      felt
      like
      it
      for
     
     
      Ts
      thereafter,
      often
      contradicting
      other
      facts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ©hi
      RELOLOGY
     
    
   
   
    
     
      es
      WA
      OF
      FR
      gE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      LESAN
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      post-Crisiscomics
      (Hawkman,
      for
      instance,
     
     
      had
      several
      contradictory
      post-Crisis
      incarna-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tions).
      If
      anything,
      DC’s
      continuity
      was
      more
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      confused
      than
      before.
     
     
      This
      mess
      inspired
      Zero
      Hour,
      a
      direct
     
     
      sequel
      to
      Crisis
      intended
      to
      clean
      up
      after
      its
     
    
   
   
    
     
      predecessor
      and
      definitively
      establish
      the
      state
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      DC’s
      continuity,
      tying
      up
      loose
      ends
      and
     
     
      ironing
      out
      inconsistencies.
     
    

    
     
      One
      of
      the
      perverse
      tidbits
      about
      the
     
     
      Crisis
      was
      the
      fact
      that
      virtually
      no
      characters
     
     
      remembered
      most
      of
      it
      when
      it
      was
      over
      apart
     
     
      from
      the
      fact
      that
      they’d
      been
      in
      a
      big
      fight
      and
     
     
      that
      numerous
      folks
      (notably
      Barry
      Allen,
      the
     
     
      Flash)
      bought
      the
      farm
      in
      the
      process.
      After
     
     
      all,
      time
      had
      been
      restructured.
      So
      our
      various
     
     
      heroes
      and
      heroines
      have
      no
      idea
      what’s
      going
     
     
      on
      this
      time
      when
      some
      pesky
      residual
      tempo-
     
     
      ral
      energies
      from
      the
      Crisis
      start
      acting
      up
      and
     
     
      time
      goes
      increasingly
      bonkers.
     
    

    
     
      These
      leftover
      time-glitches
      conven-
     
     
      iently
      explain
      goofs
      like
      the
      multiple
      Hawkmen
     
     
      and
      so
      forth,
      but
      they
      also
      spark
      a
      new
      crisis
     
     
      when
      good-guy-gone-bad
      Extant
      (formerly
     
     
      small-time
      DC
      hero
      Hawk
      and
      later
      would-be-
     
     
      world-conqueror
      Monarch)
      joinsanother,
      more
     
     
      powerful
      time-bender
      called
      Parallax
      in
      ex-
     
     
      ploiting
      the
      time
      anomalies
      for
      the
      purpose
      of
     
     
      wiping
      out
      the
      universe
      again,
      but
      consciously
     
     
      editing
      its
      recreation
      this
      time
      to
      fix
      everything
     
     
      they
      perceive
      as
      wrong
      in
      the
      universe.
      In
      other
     
     
      words,
      they’d
      be...
      the
      ultimate
      comic-book
     
     
      editors!
      Spooky.
     
    

    
     
      At
      any
      rate,
      everyone
      and
      their
      dog
      in
     
     
      the
      DC
      universe
      gangs
      up
      on
      our
      two
      wascally
     
     
      time-bandits
      to
      foil
      their
      plans
      and
      defend
      the
     
     
      universe’
      s
      right
      to
      self-determination
      (or
      some-
     
     
      thing
      like
      that--
      actually,
      in
      the
      end,
      the
      re-
     
     
      maining
      good
      guys
      seem
      to
      be
      bent
      on
      foiling
     
     
      Parallax
      more
      out
      ofasense
      of
      momentum
      than
     
     
      any
      pretense
      of
      occupying
      the
      moral
      high
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cer
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ground
      since
      they
      end
      up
      restarting
      time
      with
     
     
      their
      own
      big
      bang,
      but
      I
      digress).
      Time
      and
     
     
      space
      are
      restored,
      and
      DC
      again
      has
      a
      clean
     
     
      slate
      fortheir
      characters
      to
      do
      with
      themas
      they
     
     
      will.
     
    

    
     
      So,
      was
      it
      worth
      it?
      The
      series
      (five
     
     
      issues,
      numbered
      countdown-style
      from
      4
      to
      0)
     
     
      is
      about
      as
      good
      as
      these
      mega-stories
      get
     
     
      (although
      it
      was
      a
      bit
      more
      rushed
      and
      less
     
     
      cerebral
      than
      Crisis),
      and
      it’s
      worth
      a
      read
      in
     
     
      and
      of
      itself.
      Dan
      Jurgens
      (infamous
      architect
     
     
      of
      the
      ‘‘death’’
      of
      Superman)
      writes
      and
      draws
     
     
      the
      whole
      shebang
      (withace
      inker
      Jerry
      Ordway
     
     
      embellishing
      his
      pencils),
      and
      does
      a
      credit-
     
     
      able
      job
      all
      around.
      The
      story
      is
      fast-paced
      and
     
     
      manages
      to
      maintain
      both
      a
      sense
      of
      drama
      and
     
     
      relative
      clarity
      despite
      the
      epic
      scale
      of
      the
      cast
     
     
      and
      the
      events.
      Even
      better
      is
      the
      Jurgens-
     
     
      Ordway
      artwork:
      clean,
      and
      well-detailed
      with-
     
     
      out
      resorting
      to
      the
      flurries
      of
      extraneous
      lines
     
     
      so
      prevalent
      in
      currently
      popular
      ‘‘realistic’’
     
     
      art
      styles.
      The
      colouring
      is
      also
      pretty
      darn
     
     
      impressive,
      very
      rich
      and
      sophisticated
      for
      a
     
     
      standard
      format
      comic
      book.
     
    

    
     
      Casualties
      are
      (by
      comparison
      to
      Cri-
     
     
      sis)
      relatively
      few
      and
      mostly
      insignificant
      (i.e.
     
     
      Rip
      Hunter
      and
      the
      Team
      Titans)
      with
      the
     
     
      exception
      of
      the
      Justice
      Society
      of
      America,
     
     
      comics’
      first
      superteam.
      Active
      fromthe
      1940’s
     
     
      to
      the
      present,
      the
      JSAers
      were
      one
      of
      the
      loose
     
     
      ends
      tied
      up
      herein,
      since
      DC
      decided
      it
      would
     
     
      stop
      cheating
      with
      the
      JSAers’
      ages
      (most
      of
     
     
      them
      were
      kept
      mystically
      young
      by
      various
     
     
      means)
      and
      reduce
      them
      to
      the
      geezers
      they
     
     
      should
      be
      by
      now,
      so
      as
      to
      be
      more
      realistic
      and
     
     
      avoid
      confusion
      with
      DC’s
      younger
      heroes.
     
     
      Logical
      to
      be
      sure,
      but
      the
      JSA
      comes
      to
      a
     
     
      humiliating
      end
      herein
      (complete
      with
      several
     
     
      gratuitous
      deaths
      in
      their
      ranks)
      and
      serve
      as
     
     
      little
      more
      than
      cannon
      fodder
      for
      the
      sake
      of
     
     
      shock
      value.
      They
      deserved
      a
      much
      classier
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      finale
      than
      this,
      and
      should
      probably
      have
      been
     
     
      left
      in
      the
      limbo
      JSA
      writer
      Roy
      Thomas
     
     
      confined
      them
      to
      a
      few
      years
      back
      so
      they
      could
     
     
      go
      out
      with
      dignity.
      Their
      fate
      is
      really
      the
      only
     
     
      thing
      about
      Zero
      Hour
      that
      seems
      needlessly
     
     
      excessive.
      The
      identity
      and
      fate
      of
      Parallax
      are
     
     
      equally
      shocking
      (and
      a
      heckuva
      cool
      plot
      twist
     
     
      I
      won’t
      spoil
      for
      you),
      but
      these
      plot
      points
      were
     
     
      essential
      to
      the
      story
      as
      a
      whole
      and
      served
      as
     
     
      a
      logical
      (albeit
      tragic)
      end
      for
      both
      the
      char-
     
     
      acter
      and
      the
      series.
      Zero
      Hour
      ends
      with
      a
     
     
      bang,
      literally,
      but
      when
      the
      smoke
      clears
      it
     
     
      almost
      all
      makes
      sense.
     
    

    
     
      The
      alterations
      in
      the
      reborn
      DC
      uni-
     
     
      verse
      are
      worthy
      of
      an
      article
      in
      and
      of
      them-
     
     
      selves
      since
      DC
      is
      unveiling
      its
      revamped
      line
     
     
      of
      titles
      with
      a
      coordinated
      effort
      this
      time
     
     
      around,
      during
      ’’Zero
      Month’’:
      all
      the
      DC
     
     
      universe
      titles
      published
      during
      the
      month
     
     
      following
      Zero
      Hour
      are
      #0
      issues
      meant
      to
     
     
      serve
      as
      introductions
      to
      each
      title’s
      charac-
     
     
      ters.
      Some
      characters
      are
      old,
      some
      are
      new,
     
     
      some
      are
      slightly
      modified
      or
      unchanged,
      and
     
     
      others
      are
      completely
      revamped.
      Regardless,
     
     
      it’s
      a
      great
      marketing
      gimmick
      and
      an
      acces-
     
     
      sible
      intro
      to
      DC
      Comics
      for
      fans
      both
      old
      and
     
     
      new
      (though
      without
      going
      into
      details
      in
      this
     
     
      space,
      be
      choosey:
      not
      all
      of
      the
      40
      ‘‘zero’’
     
     
      books
      are
      necessarily
      good
      reading
      as
      either
     
     
      stories
      or
      primers).
     
    

    
     
      A
      final
      note
      in
      Zero
      Hour’s
      favour
      is
      the
     
     
      fold-out,
      illustrated
      timeline
      chart
      thrown
      into
     
     
      the
      final
      issue
      at
      no
      extra
      charge,
      providing
     
     
      readers
      a
      definitive
      snapshot
      of
      basic
      DC
      chro-
     
     
      nology
      at
      a
      glance.
      It’s
      the
      icing
      on
      the
      Zero
     
     
      Hour
      cake,
      and
      like
      the
      series
      offers
      you
      a
      taste
     
     
      of
      DC’s
      slightly
      revamped
      comics
      continuity.
     
     
      If
      you’ve
      got
      the
      appetite
      (and
      the
      wallet)
      for
     
     
      the
      full
      DC
      smorgasboard,
      check
      out
      the
      vari-
     
     
      ous
      Zero
      Month
      books
      for
      a
      definitive
      look
      at
     
     
      the
      DC
      Comics
      line.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      COOL
      FASHIONS
      FOR
      STUDENTS
     
     
      <5
      —__y—_—_
     
     
      Beautiful
      hand
      knit
      Sweaters
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Direct
      from
      Ecuador)
     
     
      100
      %
      Wool
      and
      cotton
     
    
   
   
    
     
      10%
      Student
      Discourt
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UFE
      Breezeway,
      September
      222
      from
      9-4