REVIEW: DC All In Special #1
Hot off the heels of ‘Absolute Power’ comes DC All In Special #1, “Alpha” and “Omega”. This two story flip book acts as an aftermath of what just happened and a precursor to everything that’s going to happen in DC’s main continuity. It also feels like a #0 issue to the upcoming ‘Justice League Unlimited’ series and with what occurs in this book, you won’t want to miss out.
The standard wraparound cover is by Daniel Sampere and Alejandro Sánchez. The front side shows an ensemble of Justice League members standing at the ready as a visage of Darkseid fires off his Omega Beams. A clear visual depiction of the conflict that plays out inside. The flip side showcases the cover debuts of the new Absolute Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman facing the same threat. There is a distinct look to the new Trinity and it’s impressive how well Sampere and Sánchez pull off their uniqueness while keeping their familiar feel. There’s also a foiled version of this cover which is sure to look amazing.
Wes Craig and Mike Spicer’s wraparound variant also plays on the theme of two separate worlds facing a common threat. Their take focuses more on the heroes involved yet there’s still only the new Trinity on the Absolute Earth side. Using contrasting hues of red and blue to denote the differing worlds, their wraparound has a more cohesive feel of the two unifying against Darkseid.
The variant by Rafa Sandoval and Matt Herms is a more traditional idea of a wraparound cover. A single image of Darkseid against Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman of Prime Earth cleverly folded to the respected “Alpha” and “Omega” sides of the book.
Two other variants are out there. One by John Giang which is a great depiction of Darkseid and the other, a giant foiled DC logo.
Daniel Sampere and Colorist Alejandro Sánchez also take on the interior art for the “Alpha” story. Wes Craig and Colorist Mike Spicer handle the art for the “Omega” story, with special appearance by Dan Mora & Tamra Bonvillain on the centerfold splash page that connects them both. With these powerhouse teams at work, it’s obvious the book looks spectacular. Both “Alpha” and “Omega” take place at the same time and splits perspectives once they intersect. Having the art be different for the same scenes but from differing points of view not only keeps the visuals fresh, but helps the narrative from feeling redundant. The issue may look a bit gimmicky but it plays well as the two stories run towards each other from opposite directions to share the last page in the middle of the book.
Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder share writing credit for both stories with Steve Wands lettering the entire DC All In Special #1. There’s a lot to unpack during the first half of the book. “Alpha” carries the responsibility of picking up after ‘Absolute Power’ and setting up ‘Justice League Unlimited’. There’s definitely a change in the status quo and a feeling of new possibilities for the entire DC line. “Alpha” quickly becomes focused on Booster Gold as he contemplates the notion of returning to his proper time. Willing to stick around and be apart of the new Justice League, the inaugural meeting is abruptly interrupted by Darkseid who’s more powerful than ever.
As quickly as it began, the conflict is over leaving the new League to wonder what the attack was really about. From there things get spoilery as Booster finds himself alone discovering Darkseid’s true agenda. “Omega” solely follows Darkseid from the same beginning point as “Alpha” to fill in many aspects not explored in the prior story. Having the luxury of setting up all the new ideas DC will explore in the coming months, this half of the book is considerably faster paced with several genuine surprises along the way. Here we’re introduced to the concept of the new Earth as well as first glimpses of Absolute Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The two stories do leave us on a considerable cliffhanger with only the promise of the entire main DCU as its continuation point. Things are sure to be interesting as these events play out as this genuinely feels like the beginning of a new era for DC Comics.
(8/10) I’m quite the sucker for gimmick books that play into the story’s narrative and this issue proves to be no exception. The creative teams involved live up to their earned reputations but this is definitely not a stand alone installment. Even if it feels clichéd to say this is a “New Era” of DC, it’s certainly a new approach which has me excited to see where it goes.
