Issue Description

Week 27, Day 1.

The helmet of Dr. Fate brings Ralph Dibny to the Spectre, and this first magical task. Dibny tells Spectre that he is willing to pay any price in order to bring back his wife, and Spectre sets him on an impossible task. Dibny is taken into deep space, where the mad god Eclipso was placed into solar orbit by the Shadowpact it order to nullify her evil sorcery.

A twist of fate, however, has made it so that Eclipso inhabits the body of Jean Loring - the woman who murdered Dibny's wife, Sue. Spectre wishes to punish Jean, but cannot do it without a host body - and so asks Dibny to donate his own and avenge Sue. Dibny accepts, and takes Spectre's power. Dibny confronts Eclipso, and the two disappear.

Week 27, Day 2.

Waverider is confronted by Skeets. Waverider accuses Skeets of splintering the historical mainline, but Skeets reveals that it was the Luthor from the parallel Earth that started it. Skeets demands that Waverider tell him 'when' Rip Hunter is, and it turns out that Skeets has been taking out time travellers like Time Commander and Clock Queen if they refuse to help it. Waverider refuses to help, and Skeets neutralizes him.

Nanda Parbat.

Question has given the Crime Bible to Aristotle Rodor to study. Renee is worried about Question and his constant coughing. Renee reveals that none of the therapies Richard Dragon and Aristotle try on Richard - teas, acupuncture, massage, pills - are helping Question, and she fears that he is getting even sicker. Renee asks Question when he quit smoking, and receives the reply "not soon enough." It turns out that Question has lung cancer and has known for seven months. Question reveals that he hasn't got long to live, and leaves Renee absolutely shocked and upset.

Later, Aristotle brings up a certain passage of the Crime Bible which references the "devouring" of "the heart of the twice-named daughter of Cain." Renee makes a quick connection between that and Kate Kane, especially after seeing an illustration of a devil plucking out the heart of a woman who looks suspiciously like Renee's ex-flame and the new Batwoman.

Week -84, Day -2.

Dibny and Eclipso teleport back in time and into Dibny's house. Dibny struggles with the mad goddess, and manages to transform her back into her true form - Jean Loring. Dibny has brought Loring here to watch, over and over again for eternity, how she murdered Sue Dibny. Loring pleads to be let go, but Dibny wrestles her upstairs, where an oblivious Sue decorates a birthday cake. He holds Loring so that she must watch every gruesome moment of it. Dibny is so overwhelmed by the horror of it all himself that he teleports them both back, and fails his mission.

He asks the helmet of Dr. Fate to get him away from here, and Dibny decides that there must be better ways to bring his wife back than dealing with the Spectre. Dibny and the helmet leave for Nanda Parbat.

Plus: The Origin Of Black Canary with Howard Chaykin.

52 (2006)

Publisher

DC Comics

Volume Description

52 was a 52-part limited series, published weekly for one year, chronicling the events that take place during the missing year after the end of Infinite Crisis. None of the DC "Big Three" (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman) are featured in costume in the pages of 52.

While DC had used the weekly format before, (most notably with Action Comics in April 1988), 52 was their first attempt to launch a new title as a weekly. Set in the time between the end of "Infinite Crisis" and the "One Year Later" story lines, 52 dealt with the events of the missing year - a year without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, The title was masterminded by writers Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid, with Keith Giffen producing art breakdowns. Its weekly publication meant several artists had to handle the art, starting with Joe Bennett on the first four issues. A massive saga, spanning the whole DC Universe (and beyond), 52 introduced several new heroes and villains, including a new Question and Batwoman, before the big reveal of a new multiversse of fifty two realities, each containing an alternate Earth.

The story had a huge impact on the DC Universe, affecting everything from Black Adam's World War III spin off, to Booster Gold's post - 52 reality - spanning adventures. It also led into countdown to final crisis and left the DC Universe a dramatically different place.

Issues #1-13 are collected in 52 Vol 1 TPBIssues #14-26 are collected in 52 Vol 2 TPBIssues #27-39 are collected in 52 Vol 3 TPBIssues #40-52 are collected in 52 Vol 4 TPB

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