The Fury of Firestorm #1 – Jeff Lemire, Writer; Rafael De La Torre, Artist; Marcelo Maiolo, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: For the first time in years, Firestorm is getting a solo title – but the character is not what he used to be. The unique combo of two individuals fused into a cosmic matrix, becoming one single super-being with control over all the elements, is a great idea. But what happens when the wrong mind is in control? This issue opens with a chilling segment as Firestorm descends on a small town in Colorado and starts…experimenting. He first starts transforming the town into other elements that aren’t supposed to be here, then doing the same to the humans. All the while, he displays none of the emotions one would expect of Ronnie Raymond, and none of the smarts of Dr. Martin Stein – who has been estranged from Ronnie ever since the events of Doomsday Clock. Which raises the question – who’s piloting the Matrix? That’s what the government wants to find out, in the aftermath of the Bedford tragedy.
The first person they go to is Firehawk, Ronnie’s former girlfriend and a superhero in her own right. She’s one of the only people they think can get close enough to Firestorm to see who’s in control, and what she finds is particularly eerie. This story reminds me a lot of the best stories involving Doctor Manhattan – when someone has that much power, what happens when their humanity slips away? The art in this issue is haunting when it needs to be, but it also shifts midway through the issue to a brilliant retro segment that shows us exactly what Ronnie has been up to during this time – and who’s really pulling the strings here. This issue has the cosmic horror so famous in Jeff Lemire’s darker works, but it also has a deep love for the bizarre, weird-science parts of the DCU that Lemire did so well with in The Terrifics. It’s a fantastic start to a new chapter for one of the DCU’s most underrated heroes.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
