Snoring now.

COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #23

Written by Paul Dini with Keith Giffen, Story Consultant
Art by Tom Derenick & Wayne Faucher
Cover by J.G. Jones

Well, about the nicest thing that can be said about this issue is that it's presented with a beautiful J.G. Jones cover.
Otherwise, ugh. I felt like I was reading an issue of COUNTDOWN PRESENTS THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER. Issue after issue of that series is like a waste of time because absolutely nothing happens to advance the story. And this fits right in with those.
Three issues ago (COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #26), we had basically an all-recap issue. But nothing about it felt stagnant. It still moved along, and even partially forward.
In this one we got nothing except an extended Mxyzptlk-tortured-by-Superman-Prime scene, that ultimately led to...nothing.
And why do they keep introducing potentially interesting characters, like Jokester and Annataz Arataz, just to kill them off? While forcing us to endure Forerunner?
About the only good thing about this issue (and I'm being subjective), is that it sort of helps save Tom Derenick's art from last issue. The writers actually told us that Superman-Prime is 19 years old. He looks 30. And the last issue made no sense, because why was he suddenly so big and bulky. And old. But what Tom couldn't show us, the writers told us. So there is that.

And I'm wondering how the battle between Sodom Yat and Superbrat-Prime turns out in this coming week's GREEN LANTERN CORPS #18, which obviously takes place, oh yeah, before this...