Four heroes trapped in limbo are about to reveal themselves--one is dying, one wants to save her and restore an entire world that vanished, and the other two seek unrivaled power--but when they concoct an earth-shattering plan, even the world's greatest superheroes may not be enough to stop them. Grade 8 Up—One of the most talked about series in comics publishing ever, "Infinite Crisis" is now out in a one-volume set of all seven original issues. It's about the alternative dimensions of Earths Prime, One, and Two, and the multiple characters that cross-pollinate these worlds. The three major DC heroes, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, are trying to work out the causality and relentless spin-offs from the infinite worlds. Panels from older comics are set beside modern renderings, showing the aging DC finally seems to acknowledge. At one point, Batman makes a caustic reference to when Superman died-a major news event from the '90s. In many ways, this title has a sad tone, as one realizes that the publisher is setting aside its legendary triad in favor of the newer, more modern heroes. Although comics frequently use the story line of the "final" appearance, and DC has not used that explicitly here, "Infinite Crisis" does feel like the beginning of the end. There are so many plotlines and moments here that could be mentioned; one that leaps to mind is the intergalactic brotherhood of Green Lanterns, and their final act captured in one mesmerizing panel. Simply put: a must-have for most libraries.— John Leighton, Brooklyn Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Every so often, the continuity of DC's interlocking comic books gets so convoluted and cluttered that the company clears the boards with an overarching story encompassing all its titles. The seven-issue Infinite Crisis , a sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985), is the latest such tale. A parallel-universe version of Superman, who was relegated to limbo at the end of Infinite Earths , escapes and attempts to replace the Earth that faithful readers have been watching for the past two decades with his own. The conflict that follows affects virtually every superhero in the DC universe, killing off extraneous characters and provoking the revamping of others. Infinite Crisis also aims to veer away from the dark, cynical tone that has infected the superhero genre of late. It skirts incomprehensibility, but so does much else in DC's recent output, and that is what Crisis addresses. The artwork, mostly by Phil Jimenez, creditably corrals a huge cast and keeps the myriad story lines going. Casual readers may be baffled, but for hard-core superhero fans, this is essential. Gordon Flagg Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Used Book in Good Condition