At long last, DC's Convergence event has come to an end, and with it comes a new status quo for the DC universe.
It's an exciting time to be a DC fan, as the company introduces a new line of comics with less of an emphasis on continuity and more value put on creative freedom. But in order to achieve this new freedom a few sacrifices had to be made.
As the saying goes, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs - and making a complete mess in the process, in this case.
Now that it's over, let's take a look back and see what Convergence did right, what it did wrong and where it will stand in the long history of DC universe events.
Plot
From the start, Convergence sounded like an idea cooked up by a 12-year-old boy trying to figure out a way to get Red Son Superman to fight Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick. Brainiac (for reasons that still aren't entirely clear, even after the event's conclusion) kidnaps cities from across the various doomed universes of the DC multiverse and assembles them all on a single planet for a battle royale. The winning city of this war will have their universe restored, while the others will be obliterated. This is all overseen by a new character by the name of Telos, who Brainiac created to see his will done. Telos is also the name of the planet where all of this is taking place, which gets more than a little confusing.
It sounds exciting in a goofy, "what-if" kind of way, but in practice it left a lot to be desired, especially in the core Convergence storyline. Not helping matters is that the majority of the event is narrated by Earth-2 Dick Grayson, an average guy who isn't terribly interesting.
In the end all the universes in the DC multiverse are restored without any real sacrifices having to be made. There are no moments that fans will be talking about for years to come. The core storyline feels inconsequential at best and seems to exist more as a convenient way for DC to reboot their comic line, rather than an actual story that needed to be told.
Art
As rough as the story in the main Convergence series was, the art proved to be even rougher at times. While the art in most issues got the job done, others, like issue # 3, felt completely phoned in. It's bad enough to have a two-page spread recycled in any comic book, but to have it done in what is supposed to be DC's historic event? That's downright embarrassing.
Not to say that there weren't some high points. The numerous images of Brainiac looming over the heroes in Convergence #8 are well done, and spread pages depicting the numerous realities of the DC multiverse are a visual feast that fans can pick apart piece by piece. Overall, however, the art here gets the job done. No more, no less.
Tie-Ins
In any other major comic event, tie-ins are often a chore. Publishers slap an event name on various different books that are marginally related to the main event in order to sell more copies. It's just good business.
Convergence, however, proved to be the exception to the rule. In fact, the fun of Convergence almost solely rests on these tie-ins. While the core Convergence series failed to explore the idea of heroes vs. heroes in any meaningful way, the Convergence issues of longtime series like Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and many more all proved to be great reads for longtime fans, as creators were given the opportunity to revisit old favorites and reinvent them in new ways.
These books addressed how these various heroes dealt with having their cities kidnapped and being forced to do battle with other heroes in order for their friends and family to have a chance at surviving.
It all made for some compelling reading; it's just a shame that the true potential of the event wasn't anywhere to be seen in the core Convergence book.
Significance
Convergence was supposed to be a game changer. Nothing would ever be the same. And it won't be, though the consequences of the event aren't quite as dramatic as DC initially led us to believe.
First and foremost is the idea that all the various doomed universes of the DC multiverse have been restored. In a way, Convergence becomes the true starting point of the DC universe. But some heroes didn't have a planet to be returned to, such as the heroes of Earth-2. Their future is perhaps the most interesting, as the planet on which Convergence took place is wiped clean in order to pave the way for the survivors of Earth-2 to rebuild their home.
And while the event will have lasting effects for continuity, the story has an even larger role in the real world. Now unshackled by the need to have everything connect, DC is giving their creators more freedom to tell more unique and tonally diverse stories than what we've seen from their New 52 line-up. That's definitely a good thing, and judging from the numerous previews DC has released, there is plenty worth getting excited about.
Verdict
In the long history of DC Comic events, it's easy to feel like Convergence doesn't quite stack up. While many of the event's tie-in comics proved entertaining, the core series ended up feeling uneventful and at times downright boring. In the end, DC deemed Convergence necessary in order to pave the way for their new creative vision, a vision that looks like it will do wonders to spice up the status quo of the New 52. It's just a shame DC couldn't achieve their new normal in a more meaningful way.
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