Superman Through the Ages! Forum

Wizard, Newsrama, and other sites have confirmed the existance of DC's weekly follow-up to 52. Wizard conducted this (http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/003562848.cfm) interview with Head Writer Paul Dini. This image was included.

(http://wizarduniverse.com/_images_/003562/COVER186-Countdown.jpg)

That's a pretty good cover, except for the fact that Jimmy's photographs are in the wrong order: assuming they've been spewing out of his camera somehow, the one with the Joker shooting him should be on top, and the one with the Joker noticing him should be on the bottom. (Yeah, yeah, okay, the Joker could have developed them himself and rearranged them after Jimmy's death, but that's not what the cover's trying to say.)

Anyway, I'm not worried. Jimmy will be fine.

If this isn't a hoax perpetrated by the Joker or somebody and they actually kill Jimmy, then:

Two Years Later, it is revealed that it wasn't Jimmy who died, it was his clone from the Cadmus Project who only thought that he was Jimmy.  It is also revealed that this imposter has been in place since 1988;

The multiverse is in flux right now and this is the Jimmy Olsen of Earth-4 who died, leaving the real Jimmy alive and well;

Infinite Crisis is really a continual state, so Jimmy will appear next issue with a new origin and backstory;

Jimmy's body is cloned and his brain transplanted into the new body - he then calls himself "Jimmy Olsen, Jr." and masquerades as his own son because instead of having an adult body he's now a young kid.  In memory of his "father," the Daily Planet decides to take him on as an errand boy.  The mystery of "Who is Jimmy's father?" is finally answered - since Jimmy is now his own father;

Jimmy dies and goes to heaven then comes back and has amnesia while he wanders around in a mysterious black outfit and grows out a ponytail.

The good new here is that once they've killed everybody off, there will be no one left to kill.


Looks to me like Jimmy's finger is holding down the camera shutter button - perhaps the photos are in the correct order and show the Joker walking away after the apparent shooting.

As he was walking away, Great Rao abruptly turned on his heels. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "Yeah, I have one last question, Mister Poimanus." He dug into the pocket of his grubby raincoat and withdrew a scrap of paper bearing some notes in pencil. "It's something that's been bothering me, see? If the guy's taking pictures of the guy who, forgive me, shot him, shouldn't the last one be on top? I mean, the one where you see the blast, uh, the crime in progress?"

Sweat beaded on Permanus' forehead. "Yes, I see what you mean, Detective. Perhaps the perpetrator returned to the scene of the crime and rearranged the photographs?" He eyed his interrogator uneasily.

Rao scratched his forehead. "See, I thought of that, too... But why would a guy do that, you know what I mean? Then I remembered Missus Rao, she's going on this course, see? All of a sudden, she gets it into her head she wants to be a pathologist. Don't ask. So she tells me all about - what's it called? - Igor Morris or something. It's like how the body gets all stiff when it's, you know, I'm sorry to bring this up..."

"Dead, you mean?"

"Well, yes, sir, that's what I meant, sir. So say the fingers go all stiff - I hate to mention this, sir, I know it's a difficult time - and press on the button, and the pictures are actually taken after Mr. Olsen was, bless his soul, shot?"

Permanus relaxed. "Doesn't rigor mortis take some time to set in?"

Ah, but you're ignoring the grin plastered across Jimmy's face.  Obviously he was under the effect of some sort of Joker Paralyzing Agent which caused his entire body to stiffen up.

Appears, DC's staff exhausted their last bit of creativity. Another huge mini-series is on the way? Seriously, while post-infinite crisis sales numbers were up, OYL monthly titles gradually declined in sales back to before IC or some even worse. 52 kept an audience but will that audience stay for another 52 weeks? I just wish DC would spend more time beefing up monthlies and allow natural stories to flourish (through these books). Instead, get ready for another weekly super series.

I am curious to see if the industry will stay the course or if this trend will damage comic sales by driving new and old readers away.

Only time will tell.......................52  :D

Comics are not cheap anymore, no one can afford to buy all this crap, and I don't admire those who can and would want to waste their money on something like that.

One Crisis every 20 years is one thing, but every year? With not even a week in between them?

Craziness!

Let's do the math...

Each issue cost $2.99, you will have to get 52 issues to get the full story, that's $155.48!!!

Gee, *another* story where the Joker apparently kills someone (and presumably the equivalent of the population of Indianapolis along with Jimmy, if past stories mean anything). Be still my heart...

Anyone remember when the Joker, well, *did* other stuff besides do some bad slasher film killer imitation? Like, well, *stealing*/trying to bump off Batman/etc.? I'm still annoyed at the Christmas story with the Joker's "plan" consisting of running Christmas shoppers over in an SUV and shooting a fast food manager.... not exactly Joker-faced fish or anything else I'd expect of a criminal mastermind (and save the "but he's *craaaazy*" excuse--- especially at $3 an issue, I expect more than the comic equivalent of a snuff film...). :-\

Meh, it tends to even out with the scheduling these days.

I could buy a lot of Showcase books and TPBs for that money and still have money left over.

There will be so many great ones being release this year!

All Star Superman: Volume 1
Showcase Presents: Superman Vol. 3
Silver Star TPB
Captain Victory TPB

and that's just for starters! I rather get those.

When I saw that Wizard cover I was really pissed. Then I read this interview (http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/003562848.cfm), which made it clear that the magazine cover is just a marketing ploy, because Jimmy can't very well die in the first issue of a series he plays a major role in.

Once 52 and the current story arcs in my other DC titles end, I may well just switch over to trades for those titles (I'm dropping one title when the current arc ends anyway). It honestly depends on how well the single-issues grab me (meaning no decompression) and if my wife continues on the war path about the long boxes.

Countdown will get a one-issue evaluation.

I will continue to pick up the Showcase Editions that interest me as well as trades for my Marvel and IDW titles.

The one title that I will be purchasing single-issues for this year is Buffy Season 8.

You've got to admit "Countdown" is the perfect name if DC insists on another major crossover event.

That's "Countdown" as in:

2,000 readers left
...500
...250
...10
...0

To be fair, DC offered a discount for readers purchasing the entire 52. Of course, you are stuck for a long ride.

Counting Down: Interview

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=102192

NRAMA: Wrapping things up then – probably the most obvious question – what is Countdown counting down to?

DD: It’s pretty simple – we’re counting down to the next big event at DC Comics.
   

DC better hope short term goals translates into long term gains. Countdown could dissuade readers from buying monthly books. Some readers will just buy Countdown, figuring monthly titles don't matter; especially with another huge multi-crossover in the works.   

For me it's the other way around.  I've given up cross-over events, weekly event books, etc.  To be honest, I have absolutely no interest in them.  I think it's only a matter of time until everyone else gets burned out as well.  You can't maintain a constant level of hype and anxiety, you need to give readers some down-time.  The reason that all those events of that past worked sales-wise is that they were Summer events.  But under DiDio, DC is now just one constant event.  It's the same mis-function as Hollywood trying to create a continuous stream of mega-blockbusters.  When was the last time they just made a normal movie?

So although I follow Action, Superman, and All-Star Superman, it's been at least  two or three months since an issue of any one of these books has shipped.  When I called DC subscription last month to see why I hadn't received anything, they said there wouldn't be a new issue until March.  Or maybe it was April.

Either way, I've come to appreciate these comics much more now that they are few and far between.  I hope DC isn't in the process of phasing out their monthlies as they shift their focus to the event books.

Great. Another bloated event. More gratuitous character death and yet another image of Superman crying.

My what a bold new era.

Paul Dini supposed to be involed in this which would make me happiest fan on Earth usually but I have to wonder if even Pauls talent can survive under this regime and with a storyworld that makes no real sense at all.

Don't forget Superman: The Action Comics Archives Volume 5, due on March 28.

So first the Joker shoots Jimmy, then he aims at him, and then he notices him? At least, that's how I'm reading the pictures. Anyway, I'm just being picky for the Hades of it.

I doubt they even thought it through that far.  Somebody just realized it had been a whole two weeks since DC ran a cover with Superman crying, so they drew one as fast as possible.