Crisis Weekly, the thirteenth

Crisis Weekly #13.

It should come as no surprise that Crisis Weekly was inspired by 52, a weekly series DC did back in 2006-07.  52 was a big deal at the time, both for the fact that it took on the challenge of coordinating a weekly series featuring a continuous story, something that had never been done before, but brought together DC's best writers (Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid) to collaborate on it.  I loved it.  I thought and still do that it was a seminal achievement filled with great moments, archetypal storytelling that knew how to turn a dramatic corner and take bold risks with characters nobody would've ever expected to enjoy such results. 

Along the way, 52 introduced new characters.  Batwoman had the greatest sticking power.  She's starred in a few ongoing series of her own since then, and even made a spectacular live action debut in the "Arrowverse" TV crossover event last year, "Elseworlds."  There was also Supernova, who was ultimately revealed to be Booster Gold all along, a fact that was a little disappointing to fans who hoped there was another standout newcomer in the mix.  (Later, DC attempted to draft Booster's present-day ancestor into the role, but the idea had little staying power.) 

This week's installment of Crisis Weekly plays with the legacy of Supernova.  I had introduced the character of Boxer (meant to be a representative of a competing space cop organization to the Green Lantern Corps) early on, but hadn't featured him since, knowing that he had little other purpose than to be eventually exposed as one of the White Martians.  So, rather than letting readers bond with the guy, I saved him for the moment he gets revealed.  Hopefully he still works as interesting in and of himself, what he attempted to represent, above and beyond what he actually is.

This week I also sketched out the rest of the story.  Assuming all goes according to plan, Crisis Weekly will end with #21, eight installments later.  When I originally conceived of it, I thought the story might go longer, but I didn't want something that eventually just sort of existed.  I wanted a story that kept hitting its beats at a reasonable pace.  Readers will tell me whether or not I'll have succeeded.