The Highs and Lows: DC's 'Identity Crisis' and the 'Countdown' That Went Wrong

Ah, the mid-2000s in comics – a fascinating time, wasn't it? Especially for DC Comics fans. We had just come off something truly special, an event comic that really landed with a thud, in the best possible way. I’m talking, of course, about Identity Crisis. It was a masterpiece, honestly, a gritty, thoughtful detective story wrapped in spandex, exploring the moral gray areas even our most beloved heroes found themselves in. It asked uncomfortable questions about privacy, justice, and the lengths people would go to protect their secrets, even if it meant messing with someone's mind. It was focused, had a clear villain, and a lasting impact that rippled through the DC Universe for years.

That kind of success, though, often breeds a certain pressure, doesn't it? A need to follow up, to keep that momentum going. And so, just a couple of years later, around 2007, DC launched its direct follow-up. And oh, boy. If Identity Crisis was a five-star gourmet meal, its successor, Countdown to Final Crisis – or just Countdown, as most of us remember it, usually with a sigh – was... well, let's just say it was less than appetizing. It truly stands out as one of the most bewildering, frustrating, and, frankly, outright bad event comics of that entire era. It's almost impressive how much it managed to get wrong.

Think about it: Identity Crisis was tight, cohesive, a singular vision largely from Brad Meltzer. You felt the stakes, you understood the motivations. Then you turn the page to Countdown, and it felt like everyone and their mother had a hand in the pot. It was a sprawling, weekly series with multiple writers and an almost dizzying array of storylines that crisscrossed, contradicted, and ultimately, often went absolutely nowhere. Characters seemed to behave entirely out of character just to serve whatever plot point needed to happen that week, only for it to be dropped or ignored the next. It was a narrative mess, pure and simple.

The original goal, ostensibly, was to build towards Grant Morrison's highly anticipated Final Crisis. But honestly, for many of us, it just made understanding Final Crisis even harder! Instead of setting the stage, it cluttered it, introducing dozens of plot threads that fizzled out or were retconned almost immediately. Remember all those Earths and Multiverse shenanigans? It was like throwing a thousand darts at a board, hoping a few would stick, and then forgetting where the board even was. It actively diminished the universe it was supposed to enrich, leaving readers feeling confused, exhausted, and more than a little irritated.

It’s a stark reminder, I think, of the delicate balance in comic book storytelling, especially with these big, universe-shaking events. You can't just chase the ghost of a past success without a clear roadmap, a singular voice, and a genuine respect for the characters and continuity you're playing with. Identity Crisis showed us the brilliance possible when those elements align. Countdown, on the other hand, well, it taught us a very different, and much harder, lesson about what happens when they spectacularly fall apart. It remains, in my humble opinion, one of DC's biggest creative missteps of the 2000s, a true cautionary tale in the annals of event comics.