Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven #4
Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven #4 sits at the narrative crossroads of the post-Infinite Crisis DC Universe, advancing the miniseries that formally established the radioactive ruins of Blüdhaven as a contested geopolitical zone and introduced a rebuilt S.H.A.D.E. agency as a major ongoing DCU force. The issue is part of the series that served as the direct launching pad for the new incarnation of the Freedom Fighters — Phantom Lady (Stormy Knight), Doll Man (Lester Colt), Human Bomb (Andy Franklin), and Firebrand (Andre Twist) — whose introductions in this miniseries fed directly into the Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters ongoing. The miniseries as a whole also contains the new Monarch's introduction, making individual issues key connective tissue between Infinite Crisis and the subsequent wave of DCU events.
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The six-issue miniseries was written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, with interior art by Dan Jurgens (pencils) and Palmiotti (inks), covers by Daniel Acuña, colors by Javi Montes, letters by Pat Brosseau, and Dan DiDio serving as editor. Shipping twice monthly beginning April 2006, the series was conceived as a ground-level aftermath story following the Society's deployment of Chemo as a weapon of mass destruction against Blüdhaven in the pages of Infinite Crisis, and was explicitly designed to establish the characters and agencies that would populate Gray and Palmiotti's subsequent Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters miniseries.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Issue #4 carries a July 2006 cover date and was published on May 24, 2006 — part of a twice-monthly shipping schedule for the six-issue run.
- The story is titled 'The Battle for Blüdhaven, Part 4'; its central action depicts a large force of Atomic Knights attacking the S.H.A.D.E. base while Father Time's super-powered agents are deployed elsewhere, leaving him outclassed.
- The Teen Titans and allied heroes appear as guest-stars, continuing their investigation of the mysterious radiation source inside the quarantined city.
- Major Force arrives in this issue, further complicating the multi-faction struggle over Blüdhaven's ruins.
- The series — across all six issues — serves as the first sustained showcase for the new S.H.A.D.E.-affiliated Freedom Fighters roster: Phantom Lady (Stormy Knight), Doll Man (Lester Colt), Human Bomb (Andy Franklin), and Firebrand (Andre Twist, identified as a left-wing activist and the fourth character to carry the Firebrand name, whose fire powers resulted from Chemo's detonation over the city).
- The miniseries conclusion leads directly into Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #1 (2006), also written by Gray and Palmiotti with art by Acuña, establishing a continuous creative and narrative pipeline.
- The complete six-issue series was collected in a trade paperback (Infinite Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven, DC, January 2007), which DC's own solicitation notes includes the introduction of the new Monarch as well as the Freedom Fighters.
- Credits for issue #4: writers Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti; pencils Dan Jurgens; inks Jimmy Palmiotti; colors Javi Montes; letters Pat Brosseau; cover Daniel Acuña; editor Dan DiDio.
Cast · 40 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
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The Titans and their allies continue to investigate the radiation source in Blüdhaven.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).