Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition Vol. 2

The second of the three Crisis Companion volumes and it is a great collection. Don't get me wrong, some of the stories have aged better than others, but they all are enjoyable. The joy stems from a combination of nostalgia and also seeing the "lost stories" that helped to explain little vignettes from the main Crisis series (like where Steel got warped to in Crisis #9).This was my first time reading the Infinity Inc. and the JLA stories, so I will admit that the "discovery" of them added to my enjoyment. As did my surprise at seeing the work of a young Todd McFarlane in some of those stories. Some of the other stories seemed like an odd choice for inclusion (such as Detective Comics 558 and The Losers Special #1). Their relationships to the overall story of Crisis is...well, it would be a stretch to even call it tenuous. But that is part of the fun, too -- having a time capsule back to 1985 and 1986 and seeing how much creators actually bothered to tie in to the events of Crisis.The Deluxe Edition format is the perfect one for this collection and it does not disappoint.There are only two potential negatives that you need to be aware of: (1) these are period stories from the mid-1980's and as such their dialogue and plotting are products of their time (save for the reprint of Legends of he DC Universe -- a sort of Crisis issue 4.5, if you will), and (2) as with many collections that bring forth a range of different material (such as the DC Comics "75 Years of" collections) none of these stories are complete. To be fair, DC tries to include as much closure as possible on the main story elements, but there will be some elements that were resolved in the Crisis tie-in issues and those are just not included here.But however you cut it, this was a great book and definitely recommended.

This book continues collecting Crisis on Infinite Earths tie-ins.Detective Comics #558 drops us in the middle of a lot of stuff going on with Batman with not a whole lot of forward momentum.DC Comics Presents #86: Features a Superman/Supergirl team-up as Supergirl tries to find out what's behind the crisis and we get some foreshadowing of her fate in Crisis.Swamp Thing #44: Not quite as confusing as Batman, but still off doing its own thing with the Crisis element being relatively small.The Losers Special #1: We learn the fate ofWorld War II-level heroes in a solid war comic, we get a look at the end of three World War II war story heroes.Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 was probably the most surprising story in the book. It was written by Wolfman in the 1990s to introduce Earth-D where his idea of a more diverse identity for the DCU was in place with a Black Superman, Native American Wonder Woman, and a different take on Batman. The heroes from Earth 1 arrive to try and stop the crisis. It's a very moving story and quite well-done.The bulk of the book is Infinity, Inc. #18-25 and Annual #1 and Justice League of America #244 and #245. Infinity Inc. is pretty good, but I don't think its as good as All-Star Squadron in the previous book. It focuses on the second generation of heroes in Earth 2, many of who were rejected for the Justice Society. There was a lot of good stuff, including the wedding of the Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott and the introduction of a new Doctor Midnight and Hourman. There's also a team up with Solomon Grundy in the middle of the crisis. On the other hand, some of this is over-angsty. The final JLA-JSA crossover is pretty lame. Add to that, that this run begins in the middle of one story and ends with a cliffhanger for another, and this is good but not great reading.New Teen Titans Vol. 2 #13 and #14 concludes the book and its pretty good. There's a lot of stuff that's been going on, but like a good soap opera, it draws you in. The highlight of this may be seeing the Crisis affect another planet.Overall, while I liked this a little less than the first volume and I think the Detective Comics and Swamp Thing books feel tangential, this is a worthwhile read for fans of 1980s comics and Crisis on Infinite Earths.

I absolutely love DC's CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS "COMPANION" Deluxe Edition's! This Volume 2 "Companion" is better than the first (imho) one, and the first one was awesome! These beautifully redone, hardcover masterpieces look wonderful on one's shelf & are also amazing to read! I cannot recommend this volume (and VOLUME'S 1 & 3) enough! Fantastic work DC COMICS! A+++

Excellent

Finalmente, na comemoração dos 35 anos de Crise nas Infinitas Terras, a DC resolve publicar as histórias que andaram em paralelo com a saga. Mais ainda (e melhor ainda), estão publicando essas histórias com outras anteriores de forma que cada história fica com sentido. Não é simplesmente publicar o número 35 de uma revista sem qualquer contexto sobre o que houve nas edições anteriores. Se fosse uma série de TV (ou Netflix), eu diria que a DC está mostrando todos os capítulos sem qualquer pressa. Essas histórias estão saindo nas edições Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion. Duas edições já saíram com uma terceira para o segundo semestre deste ano. O volume 1 tem 576 páginas e o 2 tem 560. A edição 2 é mais diversificada; enquanto a 1 é bem focada no All-Star Squadron, o volume 2 tem Detective Comics 558, DC Comics Presents 86, Swamp Thing 44, Losers Special 1, Legends of the DC Universe (mais recente, a história encaixa na sequência, mas foi publicada em 1999), Infinity Inc 18 a 25, Justice League of America 244 e 245, New Teen Titans 13 e 14. Destaque ai para as histórias do Infinity Inc (Corporação Infinito no Brasil) desenhadas por Todd McFarlane (com arte final de Tony DeZuñiga). Algumas dessas histórias da Corporação Infinito foram publicadas em Superamigos e Super-Homem da Abril. O traço de McFarlane está bem diferente não só por estar em começo de carreira, mas também pela arte-final. Mesmo assim, a diagramação dele é bastante inovadora para a época.

Ótima compilação de histórias complementares ao evento Crises nas Infinitas Terras. Fundamental para colecionadores.

Fun, great read