Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Best of the 2000's #5: DC New Frontier



#5: DC New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke

That price tag on issue one almost put me off, but as I flipped through in the comic shop, I figured "Well, it has dinosaurs, so I'll give it an issue." Then I read it. I challenge anyone to read that first issue and not walk away stunned. I love the whole series, but the frenetic pacing and action of that first issue are impossible to top.

When Darwyn Cooke started to give J'onn J'onzz a starring role, I knew I was sunk. I think it is amazing that such an old character waited so long to have a defining appearance. That sequence of J'onn watching TV tells his story better than anything else he's been in and it is only one page long. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are fun here too, but for me J'onn and the Flash steal the show. The story starts to lose a little steam for me as the heroes team up to fight the Circle, but even so, the Flash's wild, explosive run is thrilling.

I like Darwyn Cooke's art in general, but his take on Wonder Woman was the best reinterpretation of the series for me. She was a bit bulked up, but she looked like she had the power to back up her ideals. Adam Strange and Green Arrow didn't look too bad either, and that's coming from a non-Green Arrow fan. Overall, this is probably one of the easiest books to hand to a non-comics reader of the last decade.

Excellent

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