World without a Superman - Infinite Crisis #5

Faith

Infinite Crisis #5

Cover Date: April 2006

Released: 1st March 2006

⋅ Writers: Geoff Johns ⋅ Pencilers: Phil Jimenez / George 

  Pérez / Ivan Reis ⋅ Inkers: Andy Lanning / Jerry Ordway / 

  Art Thibert ⋅  Colourists: Jeromy Cox / Guy Major / 

  Rod Reis ⋅ Letterers: Nick J. Napolitano ⋅ Editors: Jeanine 

  Schaefer /  Eddie Berganza ⋅

Continued from Infinite Crisis #4

We start with something completely unexpected, a discussion with Ragman (who's Jewish) and Mister Terrific (who's an Atheist) about faith. Now as the all-powerful reader, as I'm sure Morrison would put it, we know that everything is true in the DC Universe (with a very western Christian bias), but for the characters within the DC Universe, this is how they experienced the universe. If you want to get super deep we know Superman-2 is wrong but from his point of view everything he's actually right. Or at least at until this point, as at the end, he'll realize that he's been chasing a dream all along.

Anyway, after our brief side trip about faith, we cut to Booster Gold taking Jamie into the Batcave to volunteer them for Batman's mission to take down OMAC, including the first time we get a look at the new Blue Beetle armor (though it's on the cover of some versions of the comic). Whilst Earth-2 Lois Lane finally dies, and in an unfortunate fashion of characters who are going to die in this episode/issue, we get to see a little of her character. Superman-1 hearing the scream from Superman-2 from her death rushes to Earth-2 to see what caused him to scream (remember we have Earth-1 and Earth-2 coexisting right now).

Meanwhile, Golden Age Wonder Woman, who escaped Crisis by going to Mount Olympus, turns up to remind our Wonder Woman that of all the things she is the one thing she's forgotten to be is a human being. The fact that Steve sacrificed himself so Wonder Woman can have a few hours to take our Wonder Woman to Earth-2 doesn't get the attention that Lois has in this issue.

She needed there because in his rage Superman-2 is beating up Superman-1, still blaming him for the universe being what it is, Wonder Woman's lasso halts the fight and Superman-1 says the one thing that makes Superman-2 realize his mistake. A perfect Earth wouldn't need a Superman. But at that point it's too late as Alexander uses his device to bring about multiple Earths, hoping that one of them will be his ideal "perfect"  Earth. Unlike Earth-1 and 2, they don't coexist quite as nicely (a comment on the other comics Earths perhaps?), crashing into each other and causing untold damage.

To finish up Conner and Dick meet up and decide to go and see what they can do to help, whilst Flash turns up to Japan to tell Doctor Light (the good one) that they couldn't hold him back and Superboy-Prime is back!

Unlike the last Crisis, where the story ended and then pick back up for the last two issues, this one is still managing to build up the story and keeps adding more stuff going on. Small little plots are also still going throughout the story, a few I skipped to keep things moving, but it's easy to keep track of just what's going on.