Brave New World # 1
By Koppy McFadJul 8, 2006 - 2:03
This is a sampler that gives readers a taste of upcoming DC titles. It also gives a look at how the new post-INFINITE CRISIS DC will look like. Basically, it is a dark and menacing world, much like the one before the CRISIS, and as we see at the end, it appears that the CRISIS may not even be over. There is no real over-arching story. Instead, we get a look at the upcoming Captain Marvel, Freedom Fighters, Martian Manhunter, Creeper, Atom and OMAC series. The writers put in a lot of moodiness and mystery in their stories and set up very complex plotlines. They also have enough space to take swipes at George W. Bush but they largely fail to make their characters interesting or sympathetic. Martian Manhunter's story is so complex and promises to make his origin even murkier than before. The Freedom Fighters is overloaded with political diatribes and the OMAC story is too fragmented to really catch the reader's interest. The Creeper's storyline seems strangely tame for such a wild, unpredictable character. The new Atom promises some incredible concepts but seems too short with action too cramped. Just because he is the world's smallest superhero doesn't mean his story has to be told in the world's smallest panels. It is the Captain Marvel story which really generates some excitement, possibly because it features Billy, Freddy and Mary acting like heroes instead of bellyaching or delivering speeches. Another bright spot is the art which is almost uniformly excellent. Porter achieves a grandeur he has never shown before and Justiniano is so exciting and imaginiative, it seems a shame to tie him down in a series about something as plebian as a talk-show host who masquerades as a hero. 
Last Updated: Jan 7, 2012 - 7:41
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