Dynamite Entertainment 2015
Written by Mark Waid
Illustrated by Ronilson Freire
Coloured by Marco Lesko
It’s been too long since the last mini-series has been brought to us because this team and these characters are amazing well portrayed by Mark, Ronilson and Marco. This team of adventurers are unique in the time period they come from with both women and blacks playing key roles on the team and everyone is shown as competent, intelligent and essential to the team’s success.
Starting the issue off in the middle of an adventure was different and it felt like as a reader it was more impactful because instantly you get a sense of who these people are and the importance of what they do while firmly entrenching these villains as long standing threats to them and in such a spectacular fashion. I like this Clarinetist guy using it as a sonic weapon simply for the implications behind it. This opening segment also is a great introduction to these characters if you’ve not read anything about the Avenger and his team.
I really am a huge fan of the interior artwork here as well. The attention to detail is stunning and the time spent on backgrounds and page layouts all of it work together to create this wonderful world and bring it to life. The time period mixed with futuristic technology the team employs are blended so well together it’s a rare thing to be this drawn in and mesmerized by what we see on the page as we do here.
Ah Lucille an older woman has come to Justice Inc and her experience in entering and seeing what’s here shows us her fear and wonderment all at the same time and it’s a delightful mixture to be sure. After hearing her story Benson and Smitty go off to investigate her story. So during their investigation the meet the transparent man. Here’s something you don’t see everyday and the attention to detail in regards to the brain and veins and the musculature we see is pretty amazing. It seems that this is the Ghost that Lucille has seen and indeed there is something untowardly happening.
Part mystery, part action thriller and part science fiction are all blended as expertly as this team is. Sometimes people get lost in trying to create an epic or something that will wow an audience and forget that solid storytelling with a great premise that allows for characterization, plot advancement will do more for the reader than someone trying too hard to impress. Mark has nothing to prove to anyone he’s a premiere storyteller and has been for quite some time so when he writes something you know it’ll be worth reading.
Dynamite is the home for public domain characters to find new life with some of today’s best talent and we need more of Justice Inc. in the mix.