DC COMICS
WRITERS: Steve Gerber, Matt Sturges
ARTISTS: Justiniano, Walden Wong, Steven Segovia
COVER: Justiniano

At last, the new Dr. Fate makes his appearance while Eclipso casts her dark spell on other members of the DC universe. The first part of this story basically just recounts how the helment of Fate has been flying through the multiverse for several months before landing in the hands of one Dr. Kent Nelson-- no, not the old one. This guy is a failed psychiatrist whose story is told in some detail, explaining how he fell from wealth and security to become an addled bum, living on the streets. It is an intriguing tale, even if it is a little hard to swallow. The protagonist is certainly unique and intriguing and it should be interesting to see how such a wasted individual copes with his new power and the threats that he must now face. The dark, angular, semi-psychedelic art fits both the character and the story well. The Eclipso story is a mixed bag in many ways. The Spectre and his new host are debating with each other-- and then later, start talking with the guy that the Spectre just punished. From there, we go to Eclipso, explaining how she was revived and showing her attempts to corrupt-- Plastic Man. Yes, apparently DC is determined to destroy every light-hearted character that they have. Sugar and Spike are probably next. The cliffhanger ending is not so much suspenseful as silly. Apparently, they are really bending over backward to tie all these Crises together, even if they don't really fit. The art is a little murky, full of scribbly lines that are just distracting. But they do make Eclipso and the Spectre look good-- although they make Plastic Man just look stupid. Three stars out of five-- but mainly because of the potential that the Dr. Fate series holds.