Each week, DC Comics will be releasing a free—that's right, FREE—digital comic book issue featuring a sample chapter from one of our 25 Essential Graphic Novels as well as sample pages from the 2014 Essentials catalog. These special issues, which will be available for free for one week, are ideal for new fans looking to learn more about DC Universe and its mature readers imprint Vertigo, and provide the perfect reading guide for those looking to wade the waters of DC Entertainment's extensive library of graphic novels and collections.

This week: Final Crisis #1!

The DC Universe has experienced its fair share of Crises—from ones on Infinite Earths to ones of Identity to ones just plain ol' Infinite. Each featured a massive cast of characters, world-changing events, and more action than a Jason Statham flick. And while Grant Morrison's Final Crisis definitely follows a similar pattern, it's also a Morrison comic—so there are also philosophical and metaphysical theories, a mind-bending commentary on the nature of comic book storytelling, and an actual mathematical equation for Anti-Life. Let it never be said comic books can't teach you anything.

Like Alan Moore, Morrison's tales play and experiment with not only comic book concepts and characters but also how the story itself gets told. We're not even going to begin to try and explain what Final Crisis is about as you can probably pen an entire thesis on the subject, but it essentially boils down to a story of good versus evil—literally "Evil," as in the idea and concept itself. Plus, time gets broken during the course of the story, so the way the story unfolds becomes broken as well. Like we said, mind-bending.

We won't lie: Final Crisis isn't an easy read. But we definitely think every DC fan should read it: which is why you can get DC ESSENTIALS: FINAL CRISIS #1 for FREE starting December 9 until December 15! Grab a copy and prepare to have your mind blown—perhaps literally.