Writer: Brad Meltzer
Pencilers: Adam Kubert, Joe Kubert
Cover Artist: Adam Kubert
Publisher: DC
Publication Date: August 2008
Format: Comic Book One-Shot

Bestselling novelist Brad Meltzer’s one-shot contribution covering a day in DC Comics’ event of the moment, Final Crisis (the main series being written by Grant Morrison) puts Meltzer back where he is at best; identifying what lurks in the shadows, what’s being whispered in them, and examining the reality that occurs in that place cast by Icons. This time DC’s tag line for Final Crisis is “Evil Wins” a story that at the morrison-moment revolves around a victory by the dark-half of the Kirby-created pantheon that comprise the Fourth World.

What we have is what was mandated to be the other bookend along with Meltzer’s Identity Crisis to what has occurred in DC Universe since (Identity Crisis). A tall order as Last Will and Testament, is a one-shot* and that Meltzer comes dangerously close to a telling that reminds us of the power a single issue can still have, as if you know nothing about Final Crisis one can just pick up this book and recognize that it is a last days story - a single chapter of one perhaps - but Armageddon is the effect of, not the description of the storm, and Melzter shows us what the Heroes do during the calm; a day before the reign they may not in fact think they can stop.

I touched on this in my review of Identity Crisis, but Melzter’s strength within the DCU is that he is able to make Icons, largely conceived and molded with the accompanying stigma of the Golden and Silver Age, and not just make them real but he makes them so while honoring that heritage and establishing the eternal qualities of the characters to modern readers. There is an awareness with the characters that bridges them from one era to the other with reverence for both, and his use of Rocky is inspired. Rocky is an original member of the Challengers of Unknown, a Fantastic Four-prototype that goes back to the 50’s , and as their names would indicate were a group that found themselves in the middle of situations found in Science Fiction or Lovecraft novels. So of course, in Last Will and Testament he is a priest; he is our ground and in many ways the instrument of procatalypses in a discussion that brings up fixtures or a reestablishment that occurred out of Identity Crisis - and who better to be the voice of a a Crisis caused by denizens of the Fourth World than an explorer created by Kirby himself. The double-talk however is not something that takes away from the issue and matter of the issue at hand , as if you lack the other bookend you still have a story we all understand - about retrospect, vengeance; to remind us not only of what the heroes fight and would die for, but what they live for. It’s about a rural couple that would raise an alien that inspires generations, it’s about a family of orphans from Gotham, a graveyard offering by a god touched Princess - the stories that are the foundation of Super Hero comics. The players are loud so they can have these quiet moments, but the center of the story illustrates and highlights a story of vengeance, someone who cannot allow for the chance his enemy will die with the world, someone whose pity and pain needs to do it himself. The term “Last Will and Testament” is a actually an ornamental term, one that employs four words to describes what one of them in fact can and is- a Will. In this story, Melzter goes back to elevating self-ware B and C-listers and put them to the test against the man that on the other end of Meltzer’s story knowing went toe-to-toe with the Justice League and was winning.

“It is the end that crown us not the fight” - Robert Herrick

Brad Meltzer loves Deathstroke. It’s obvious and love for a character means you explore all the angles, In Identity Crisis he reestablished the character as somebody on a given day, when confronted with a Trinity-less JLA, can beat them, and at his best, make it look easy. In Last Will and Testament we meet the same character, standing on the same elevated field we last saw him on that made the heroes themselves elevated by association. It is a obvious relationship that I don’t think DC ever accepted - line wide - until Meltzer did it, and he did it without depowering characters we love. The gods were gods, but they could be touched. . One pawn, a man who moves mountains isn’t allowing the world to end with Deathstroke on it ,as he, Geo-Force, blames Deathstroke for what he is and that he is alone and of course, on the eve of Armageddon, we have a duel in a city alley, and alley that has memories. It becomes a story that again illustrates differences, Geo-Force has Will, and a penchant for senseless drama that collides with that pragmatic wall that is Deathstroke; note, I’ve been describing a world-ending event and Deathstroke is out in costume, moving pawns still seeing a longer game, while elsewhere even as the man who raised Superman has doubts mirrored by his son. In Identity Crisis we never questioned the motives of Ralph Dibny, we (along with the DCU) were made the lynch mob and gladly so. Here we get a story where one man looks for help and doesn’t get it - or rather not the help he wanted and we are left wit sacrifice and a force of will and yet, we are left still questioning; these are qualities we associate with our heroes, but we are left with a man we aren’t sure qualifies and it troubles us.

It’s personal. Unfortunately, on too many levels. The art is inspired, and it’s inspired by loss. Not only did Meltzer suffer a loss in his family when writing this issue, the artists, legendary father and his son, did as well. I have to confess that no matter the circumstance anytime Joe Kubert is on anything; penciling, inking, whatever it’s reason enough for me to get a book. What better family to represent on a story like this? The Kubert’s live on any apartment or home or the farm down the road, on any page; dreaming or not; on any DC title and in this collaboration Meltzer works with the knowledge that you can’t ever please everybody so he ultimately appeals to those who simply want to read a good story. To be honest, I’m still rather unsure where exactly Meltzer’s piece of the pie fits on Morrison‘s grand offering; but it is a slice of life, be it in the fourth of fifth world. Meltzer’s last page is perfect . Dumas tells us that “All human wisdom is summed up in two words: wait and hope” and Meltzer and the Kuberts’ do not leave, do not leave us, without the final ingredient. A Flash makes a promise mindful of the history of his mantle in times of crisis and across generations and legacies we are reminded that facing the coming storm are the real, brave and the bold.

*_{thus I’m reviewing a single issue - something I think in most cases is ridiculous, otherwise.}

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Topics: Adam Kubert, Brad Meltzer, DC Comics, Final Crisis, Joe Kubert, Last Will and Testament