DC: The New Frontier Volume 1
By Darwyn Cooke (W/A) and Dave Stewart(C)
Cover price $19.99. Published by DC Comics. Originally printed as DC: The New Frontier 1-3.
Click here for the Library of Doom entry for DC: The New Frontier Volume 2.
Plot: The story of the DC Universe unfolds in the 1950s, with events taking place in real time as the very first Silver Age comics were released.
Strengths: Darwyn Cooke’s art is beautiful. If Alex Ross is the pinnacle of realistic comic art, Darwyn Cooke may be the pinnacle of cartoon-y comic art. The wonderfully painted cover above is only a taste of what awaits inside.
Not only that, but he’s a damn good writer, too. The bulk of the story focuses on Task Force X, the Suicide Squad (not that one), the Challengers of the Unknown, John Jones and a pre-Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Cooke writes about two groups I’ve never heard of, one I’ve never cared for and two superheroes I’ve never found all that interesting (before they’re even superheroes), yet he had me riveted from cover to cover.
The writer also deals with actual history-making events from the 1950s and how it would affect a world with superheroes. Hal Jordan is a fighter pilot in Korea, where Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are reporting. The JSA retires when the House Committee on Un-American Activities demands all super-heroes register their identities with the government. Superman and Wonder Woman become a two-person military force in Southeast Asia. A great comic makes you think about things like you never have before, and this one certainly does.
Weaknesses: New Frontier isn’t exactly a story for the DC newbie. A tremendous knowledge of DC history is expected from the reader, both in the history of the characters and the history of the company. While this does make aspects of the story flow better (the story isn’t burdened by unnecessary recaps of origins we all know by heart), it might make a new DC reader feel overwhelmed.
Also, most of the trade focuses on the non-superhero adventurers that were being published by DC Comics before the superhero resurgence that started with Showcase #4 and the debut of the Silver Age Flash. The cover, featuring most of the JSA along with the Big Three and Flash, may be a little misleading. While Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Martian Manhunter all make appearances, most are not in ways that you’d expect.
Grade: A. Quite simply one of the best projects DC has put out in a very long time. Given enough time and exposure, this could easily become one of the all-time classic comic book tales.
I started reading this when the issues came out, back when I was just getting back into comics. And this was by far one of the best things I read at the time. Somehow I managed to miss the last issue, though.
how’s Volume 2?
I wanted to pad out the Library with other stuff that maybe isn’t so good. I thought it might look bad if everything I reviewed had a bright, postive response. Hence, Breakout and New Maps of Hell. Vol. 2 will come soon. I only got Volume 1 during Trade-a-Tape’s big sale, and reading a trade a day to write these things is taking enough time that I haven’t gotten to the second one yet.
oh wow, I didn’t realize you were writing these as you read them. You see that, readers? You see that dedication?