Dark Horse Comics 2016
On Sale July 20th 2016
Written by Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Dean Ormston
Coloured by Dave Stewart
Lettered by Todd Klein
They were the greatest heroes of a lost era:
Golden Age crime buster ABRAHAM SLAM!
Interstellar adventurer COL. WEIRD and his
robot sidekick TALKY-WALKY! BARBALIEN,
warlord from Mars! GOLDEN GAIL, America’s
super-sweetheart! MADAME DRAGONFLY,
mistress of the macabre! And BLACK HAMMER,
the invincible champion of the streets!
But the age of heroes has passed . . .
I’ve got to say whenever Jeff has a new book out it’s always one you have to check out. Ya never do know what you’re going to get and that’s half the fun. This one is more than a bit unusual and already I’m fascinated by it. The way it opens on a farm out in the country and seeing the house I thought this may be a horror comic. Still can be depending on your point of view of course because it seems that after their last battle the team was transported here and have been stuck wherever here is for the past ten years.
Being forced to live “normal” lives and facing their own inner demons for the past ten years have caused plenty of rifts in the interpersonal relationships. As we meet each of the team, which the nearby town thinks of them as a family which in many regards being stuck together for ten years has actually made them, you see how being isolated and yanked away from their lives has impacted them. This is some master storytelling and characterization out of Lemire.
I don’t think i’ve ever quite experienced a book like this before as it has element of House of Secrets, House of Mystery, Mystery in Space and Weird Science-- all of which are classic 60’s sci-fi comics which are still damn good reads today. So with what I see as it’s influences and with what little we learn from the characters themselves the intrigue and interest factor on this are through the roof for me. I’m dying to know what happened to get them there, what happened to them individually to change their attitudes and appearance as the case may be. It’s such a strong first issue and it just wants to be explored and you can’t wait to explore it.
The ending gives a little more information and a reporter, much akin to Lois Lane of the Daily Planet, from Spiral City wonders what happened to them ten years ago and vows to find them.
I love Dean’s style of artwork on the interiors here. All the aforementioned books are represented in these pages depending on the character in question and their power set. It all blends so seamlessly and his eye for how to use the pages and panels for the story to flow is wonderfully executed. The attention to detail is splendid and I just think it is so well suited to this story like it was painfully handcrafted for it that you get lost in it.
You need to get to your shoppe or contact your subscription service and make sure you have one of these on hold for you. You’ll be in for an incredibly unique experience you’re not likely to forget.