COUNTING DOWN: MIKE CARLIN ON COUNTDOWN #7

**MattBrady** · 03-14-2008, 05:07 PM

And this week in Countdown to Final Crisis at DC?

The Challengers arrive on an Earth that looks like their Earth, but isn’t, and as a result find themselves on the run. The team hightails it to Cadmus where they inform Dubbilex of their problem – that is, Karate Kid is slowly dying of the most virulent virus in history.

While Dubbilex lends a sympathetic ear, and promises to help, he points out one little problem – Karate Kid is dead.

We corralled Countdown editor Mike Carlin to answer some questions.

Newsarama: So - the gods' gifts were literal, that is, they would give Harley and Holly the gifts they needed in order to defeat those who kidnapped them, and not for any longer?

Mike Carlin: Yup... Never be greedy with any god’s gifts, folks! Be thankful for what we get!

NRAMA: Why go that way with these two characters, specifically? Was it an issue of them still being viable as Harley Quinn and "Catwoman 2" back on earth?

MC: Was just the way it went for them in this story... We’ve altered plenty of folks in this series... It’s cool to leave some toys the way we found them, no?

NRAMA: Ray's acting pretty familiar with the JLA's headquarters for a guy who hasn't been on the earth since it was built. Has he been spying back on his native land, so to speak?

MC: He’s been to many Earths and seen many JLA's during his travels— including as close to the up-to-date real JLA as has been out there!

NRAMA: Fair enough. Since we saw the heroes return from Apokalips last issue, where are the Atomic Knights who were part of Brother Eye and most likely released when Brother Eye let the rest of the OMACs go?

MC: Haven’t seen hyde nor plume of them since they reverted... Sure do hope they made it back to their original Earth!

NRAMA: So - we've established that this isn't the Earth they were looking for. Thumbnailing it - Superman, Flash, GL, and the JLA exist, but the Atom doesn't, and neither do the Harriers or the other heroes...what Earth is this, and what happened to make it like it is?

MC: All will be spelled out... But it seems that this Earth may have been recently “grown”-- maybe even while the heroes we’ve been focused on were on Apokolips!

NRAMA: Speaking of their landing pad, last issue, Solomon sent them away, saying that was his final move. Not sending them home was his final move?

MC: So far.

NRAMA: While we're catching up on some things, has it been established how Karate Kid caught the Morticoccus bug?

MC: Like most illnesses it’s hard to say exactly when the moment of contraction actually is — or even if the bug takes hold. But it was established back in “The Lightning Saga” that that was when Karate Kid first showed symptoms and was banished to remain in Earth’s past by his fellow Legionnaires.

NRAMA: His illness set in within a few weeks - which is about as long as he'd been with Una and some of the others...they're not infected?

MC: He is from the future and a different planet than Una... It seems incubation has a lot to do with which specific individual contracts the virus. That said... It looks like we will find out how fast this virus from the future can spread and adapt in the next few issues!

NRAMA: Jimmy's being a receptacle for New Gods souls - is that what was somehow responsible for him knowing that Clark is Superman and Jason Todd was Robin way back towards the beginning?

MC: Right. That’s what’s been responsible for all of Jimmy’s strange abilities and powers from the start.

NRAMA: Dubbilex's reaction to Morticoccus - was that one of recognition, or one of learning of it for the first time?

MC: That was Dub learning about it for the first time... He likes learning!

NRAMA: C'mon Mike - give us a ray of hope here - the Kid's dead? Is he dead or "dead?"

MC: Sorry, folks...

NRAMA: Alright - we're depressed now, so you might as well try to cheer us up with a tease of #6...

MC: Sorry again... I don’t think Countdown to Final Crisis #6 (or #5) will be the feel good comics of March 2008...

But next week we will witness the beginning of a Great Disaster!

Mediancat · 03-14-2008, 05:17 PM

Ladies and gentlemen, all hell is about to break loose . . .

Rob aka Mediancat

Benjamin1345 · 03-14-2008, 05:22 PM

Ladies and gentlemen, consider me bored.

CodeGuy · 03-14-2008, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MC

All will be spelled out... But it seems that this earth may have been recently “grown”-- maybe even while the heroes we’ve been focused on were on Apokolips!

Maybe this "growing" is the reason there were more than 52 monitors in issue 26.

edcoyote · 03-14-2008, 05:25 PM

all the purpleish effects around Karate Kid this past week?

Methinks Eclipso is still hanging around......

(First?)

CParadise · 03-14-2008, 05:25 PM

So this is the "past" of the Kamandi Earth?

Marvin Lee · 03-14-2008, 05:29 PM

It's fun to get a new chapter of a fast moving story every week but this issue showed us one problem with the logic of the whole multiverse thing. Where are the Jimmy, Mary, Harley etc of this Earth? If they are going to maintain 52 universes they need to make travel between then very restricted. The concept worked for DC when it was an annual event but it's not an endless font of stories like Didio imagined. It's just confusing and conflicting.

ultraaman · 03-14-2008, 05:29 PM

"...animals taking on human qualities..."

hmmmm

I think the fact that Carlin has to come here and do these Q&A's so that we can figure out what the F is going on should tell someone about the quality of the story.

Kamandi2 · 03-14-2008, 05:31 PM

The last half of this series has been really good and it looks like the home stretch (last 6 issues) will be great based on the preview.

rialtus · 03-14-2008, 05:32 PM

Hm... So where exactly did the Zoo Crew end up again?

PyroTwilight · 03-14-2008, 05:33 PM

Hmm so this might be pre disaster E-17? These alternate universes and time travel sure are nuts.

This also doesn't quite match up with the Pre Crisis Kamandi worlds Great Disaster. The humans didn't become more animalistic if anything they just lost their intelligence and the anthropomorphic animals weren't more savage, I mean look at say the Lion people or Dolphin people they gained intelligence and stayed noble or kind as their previous ways were.

PyroTwilight · 03-14-2008, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rialtus

Hm... So where exactly did the Zoo Crew end up again?

New Earth safe and sound for the moment.

Kevenn · 03-14-2008, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benjamin1345

Ladies and gentlemen, consider me bored.

LOL. That was my thought.

serge0 · 03-14-2008, 05:37 PM

Soooo, what apenned to buddy blank and his grandson?

s*p rules · 03-14-2008, 05:38 PM

I have a feeling Ray Palmer isn't going to be around much longer, which will be just another in the long line of DC mistakes from the past few years concerning popular characters that have been around for years. I wished they would have just left him somwhat happy on one of the other worlds. However, if having him around meant that he would be so misused and disrespected as a character that the piece of ____ that is Jason Todd would be giving him scoldings about being a hero, I guess it's better if he's dead.

Redcape · 03-14-2008, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benjamin1345

Ladies and gentlemen, consider me bored.

haha. Well at least this issue it looks like something is actually happening.

IvCNuB4 · 03-14-2008, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvin Lee

It's fun to get a new chapter of a fast moving story every week but this issue showed us one problem with the logic of the whole multiverse thing. Where are the Jimmy, Mary, Harley etc of this Earth? If they are going to maintain 52 universes they need to make travel between then very restricted. The concept worked for DC when it was an annual event but it's not an endless font of stories like Didio imagined. It's just confusing and conflicting.

It was explained last issue that the Challengers and the other "anomalies" don't exist on this Earth ...

jmcl89 · 03-14-2008, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benjamin1345

Ladies and gentlemen, consider me bored.

You got bored 45 issues into a 52 issue series?

PyroTwilight · 03-14-2008, 05:45 PM

I do wonder when the Radiation part of the Great Disaster will come into play...

Jamal Y. Igle · 03-14-2008, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvin Lee

It's fun to get a new chapter of a fast moving story every week but this issue showed us one problem with the logic of the whole multiverse thing. Where are the Jimmy, Mary, Harley etc of this Earth?

they don't have doubles on this Earth, since they were on Apokolips when this Earth was"grown"

Jamal Y. Igle · 03-14-2008, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by serge0

Soooo, what apenned to buddy blank and his grandson?

Look at the preview, That is Buddy Blank.

Moriarty · 03-14-2008, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mediancat

Ladies and gentlemen, all hell is about to break loose . . .

Yes, indeed.

Barnum01 · 03-14-2008, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PyroTwilight

New Earth safe and sound for the moment.

At least we thought it was New Earth at the end of the mini. This was my first thought too upon seeing that last preview page. Could it be that the Countdown tie-in had more to it than the Zoo Crew just ending up on a "human" Earth?

Benjamin1345 · 03-14-2008, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmcl89

You got bored 45 issues into a 52 issue series?

Hmm, let me go and recheck my post...

Nope, it looks like I never said that.

ob kenobi · 03-14-2008, 06:03 PM

If they plan on keeping Jason Todd/Red Robin around, they need to find a personality for him and stick with it. I want to kill everyone, I care about superheroes and helping mankind, I don't care about anyone just looking for a fight, I am a loner but I care about the people of Gotham, etc., etc.,etc. It looks like he will end up just being a prick no one cares about...