Crisis on Infinite Earths: Every DC Comics event ranked worst to best
By Scott Brown
17. Zero Hour: Crisis in Time
What if Crisis on Infinite Earths occurred again just, instead of multiple universes being destroyed, time is being destroyed instead? That’s basically the general idea of Zero Hour.
If that description sounds derivative, that’s because that’s exactly what this event is. This is because, on the editorial side, there was an attempt to do what Crisis on Infinite Earths did and that is basically resetting the timeline and continuity. In execution though, it is very much not like Crisis on Infinite Earths. The story is confusing with one villain being swapped for another midway through. This ends up being better as Parallax was an interesting time in Hal Jordan’s life, but it causes for confusing plot threads to occur.
The story is entertaining though and the stakes really do feel high throughout. Once the event finds its focus, it’s excellent, but it takes a while to find that focus.
16. Underworld Unleashed
In order to gain more power, who would make a deal with the devil?
Despite how bland the name is, Underworld Unleashed is actually a relatively solid event series. The story is interesting and plays into a portion of the DC universe that isn’t explored that often. It also gives a showcase to characters largely ignored, such as the original Trickster. There’s a lot of great character work in this series because of that and by focusing on the villains more than the heroes, it creates an event that feels unique, especially at the time of release.
The problem the event runs into is when it actually has to move the story forward. The premise is great, but even at only three issues, the premise felt like it was stretched thin. Not much happens with the plot and the way it ends feels a bit lackluster.