While Ian and Seacord are off at Otakon this week, they asked me to assure their loyal readers that they'll be back next week ... and if we're all very, very good, they may even return not only with tales from the front, but with photographic evidence of the wondrous sights they saw in Charm City.

Were they here to entertain in their own inimitable style, I've little doubt that one of the items they'd have been discussing would've been DC's announcement --via a mysterious teaser image by J.G. Jones which was released to Newsarama with no further comment-- of just what it is to which Countdown is counting down: Final Crisis. Perhaps Ian and Seacord will be good enough to share their thoughts on this announcement upon their return.

In the meantime, I've gotta say, the Final Crisis announcement didn't come as too great a shock to me given that hints of a coming Crisis to End All Crises have been dropping with some regularity throughout both 52 and Countdown. (Easy to say now that it's been announced, I know, but have I ever lied to you?)

Hang in there for next week's explosive return of Ian and Seacord. They'll be back what passes for the real world next week, but Dooley, Wayne and I will be up to our ears in the geek nirvana that is Comic Con International beginning on Wednesday.

Stay tuned!

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