DC: COIE/Av: COIE/JL: COIE—a triple review
DC Comics’ First Crisis or Crisis on Infinite Earths was the first major multiverse-wide crossover, albeit there were crossovers. In this plot, DC merged its multiverse into a single streamlined continuity.
Arrowverse and Tomorrowverse recreate the event. Let’s compare the three, including the original take, comics.
Here’s a comparison between the three versions of Crisis on Infinite Earths across different DC media, although the core plot was Monitor recruiting heroes to stop the Anti-Monitor from erasing the multiverse:
1. DC Comics: Crisis on Infinite Earths (Original Comic/1985-86)
It’s a 12-issue comic book series by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.
It had Anti-Monitor as the antagonist, and the story hit the readers not with just the destruction of the universes, but the deaths of Supergirl and Barry Allen darkened the plot, making it more intriguing simultaneously.
It also changed DC continuity.
DC’s COIE rating: 5/5 stars
2. Arrowverse: Crisis on Infinite Earths (Live-Action TV Crossover/2019–20)
It’s a five-episode live-action crossover event in The CW’s Arrowverse. A crossover mainly between the seriesArrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Batwoman, while Black Lightning had a brief moment syncing with the crossover event. The event had the punch, but lacked the emotional triggers, though there were unlikely deaths, almost like the ones the comics had. They tried to recreate the arc, but the essence was missing, especially Lex Luthor seemed toooooo selfish and had over-prickish behavior. Seriously, wtf!
Albeit the core reference was DC’s COIE, this one did its best to sync well with the continuity. This Arrowverse event connected with some old DC shows, Superman of Superman Returns, the Flash of Snyderverse, the Snyderverse, and also had Kevin Conroy as the Batman of Earth 99, and other DC series. Cast was great, but Lex Luthor seemed stupid!
Av’s COIE rating: 3.5/5 stars
3. Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths (Animated Movie Trilogy/2024)
It’s a trilogy of a Tomorrowverse, again, an adaptation of DC’s COIE. There were changes still. It had the built, but then I felt it went astray somewhere. Like Arrowverse, it had emotional triggers, but they didn’t fit quite right, coz they had to mess with the storyline.
Though the latter two followed the core plot and were amazing, they lacked the essence that makes this comic still a popular one even after more than three decades. It functioned as Tomorrowverse’s finale rather than a reboot.
Tv’s COIE rating: 3/5 stars
Final Verdict:
The actual plot and its essence were missing in both the recreations. And trying to detour by some main instances, and those detours just made the story a bit bizarre, and lack the hard-hitting emotions, unlike their comic counterpart. No idea if a true COIE will be seen. No fucking idea why anyone has to mess with the storyline. Some changes are acceptable, but too many changes are not. We guess, maybe Zack Snyder could’ve pulled this off, but again, he too would have made some minor changes, but yeah, he could keep the essence strong and true. As long as the directors try to put in something extra that the real story didn’t have, then that’s not creativity, that’s tampering, unless they can convince the fans by recreating it at least by 95-98% matching the source.
Pic Credits: DC Comics/CW/WB
