Panini Comics’ DC Archives line features the largest crossed from the history of comics: Crisis on Infinite Earths, by George Pérez and Marv Wolfman

Let’s talk about Crisis on Infinite Earths it’s talking about one of those moments that divide the history of comics into a before and an after. It is a job that has not only changed the way of doing it DC Comics they told their own stories, but they practically redefined the very concept of “event” within the superhero genre. Now Panini Comics presents us this story again in an edition with the original colour, recovering the original flavor of that distant decade of the Eighties…

Half a century of DC Comics

The year was 1985 and DC Comics was turning 50. Half a century of parallel universes that had accumulated to form a gibberish impossible for any reader to understand and follow. There were many different realities (Earth-1, Earth-2, Earth-X, Earth…) of which no one, not even the editors themselves, knew which version Superman or Batman they were using in every story. Then someone in the publisher’s offices thought it was time to put things in order. And that someone was Marv Wolfmanna screenwriter who had just revitalized the New Titans next to George Pereza cartoonist who was synonymous with detail, energy and spectacularity.

Wolfman had a truly crazy idea for the time: create a story that brought together all the heroes and villains of the multiverse, put them in mortal danger, and, in the process, wiped away continuity to leave a single coherent universe. What today seems like a more or less common editorial move was a real bomb in the 1980s. And to realize it he needed an illustrator capable of capturing the magnitude of the catastrophe. Pérez was the perfect person for this. He could fit a hundred characters onto a page without the reader getting lost, giving personality to each face and making the battles look like they came off paper.

The Antimonitor arrives

The story begins with the collapse of the multiverse. A being called the Antimonitora sort of dark god emerged from the antimatter universe, is destroying entire worlds. In its wake, realities disappear, devoured by a wall of white energy. Only its counterpart, the Monitorcan try to stop him, and to do so he brings together heroes and villains from all realities who seek a desperate alliance to save what remains. From Earth-2 Superman to different versions of Supergirl, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern or even Lex Luthoreveryone has a role to play in a battle that transcends time and space.

What’s interesting about Crisis on Infinite Earths is that it’s not only a big cosmic battle, but it also has an air of tragedy. Wolfman doesn’t hold back when it comes to killing off important characters, which left audiences speechless at the time. Supergirl’s death, for example, is one of the most iconic moments in superhero comics. Pérez’s drawing of Superman holding his cousin’s corpse remains pure history of the medium. And then there’s the Barry Allenthe classic Flash, who sacrifices himself by running until he disintegrates to stop the destruction. They were heavy deaths that defined the serious and definitive tone of the story.

A turning point in the ninth art

This wasn’t just a comic, it was a game changer. Its success changed the way major comic book publishers mainstream Americans would face their universes. After this, DC Comics restored its continuity. Superman started from scratch with John ByrneBatman was redefined under the vision of Frank Miller and Wonder Woman had its revival with George Pérez. It was a complete rebirth. The characters have become clearer and more coherent and the publisher has gained a starting point for new readers. In short, this story served to clean up and prepare the ground for modern DC Comics.

But not everything here is wonderful. It’s not a comic to read without context, as there are too many characters and nods to the past. But at the same time, that overwhelming sense of bombast is what makes it special. It is the definitive comic about the multiverse, the one that cemented the idea that parallel worlds could coexist, collide and be reborn. Without this comic we wouldn’t have a DC Universe as we know it today. We would not have, for example, Infinite crisis, final crisis or all subsequent reboots. Not even cinema or television would have so easily embraced the idea of ​​the multiverse without this precedent. It can be said, without fear of exaggeration, that Wolfman changed the world (at least that of pop subculture) with this story.

As for the authors, little can be added that has not already been said. Wolfman demonstrates impressive storytelling ability here, maintaining tension for twelve issues and achieving moments of genuine drama. His text is dense, yes, but at times also poetic, almost biblical. And Pérez is in a state of grace. There isn’t a single cartoon of his that doesn’t convey energy and emotion. This is definitely the work to read if you want to understand why George Pérez has the status he does among veteran readers.

And the best thing is that, read today, This story is still going strong. It’s true that it has that Eighties flavour, with abundant supporting texts and somewhat theatrical dialogue, but it also has an emotional honesty that many current works have lost. It’s not just nostalgia, it’s the feeling that the fate of the characters is at stake, that what happens really matters. And this, in the end, is what makes this comic still so relevant forty years later.

In short, Crisis on Infinite Earths It is one of those essential reads, both for what it tells and for what it means. It’s a colossal story that mixes science fiction, mythology and emotion in equal parts, written and drawn by two authors at their best. A comic that closed an era and opened another, and which still today remains the model of what a great comic event should be.

Him tome published by Panini Comics In soft cover it contains 416 color pages with a format of 17 x 26 cm. and includes the translation of the American edition of the twelve issues of the limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths and additional material Crisis on Infinite Earths Deluxe Edition Yes Compendium of the Crisis on Infinite Earths. The recommended retail price is €40 and it went on sale in September 2025.

DC files. Crisis on Infinite Earths

The biggest superhero event of all time! The landmark maxiseries that celebrated half a century of DC Comics’ existence and brought together each of its heroes and villains in an epic of massive proportions! Compiled for the first time in Spanish with its original colors and a gigantic amount of extras, we present Crisis on Infinite Earths. Worlds will live, worlds will die, and the DC Universe will never be the same.

Authors: George Pérez and Marv Wolfman