Reviewer: John Babos
Story Title: Chapter One – Coffin
Written by: Brad Meltzer
Penciled by: Rags Morales
Inked by: Michael Bair
Colored by: Alex Sinclair
Lettered by: Kenny Lopez
Assistant Editor: Valerie D’Orazio
Editor: Mike Carlin
Publisher: DC Comics
But it isn’t.
Everyone knows how it ends.
It’s just a question of when.
In a novel, it’s different. There,
you start worrying about the
main character’s safety almost
immediately.
Of course, it’s a false worry.
Nothing bad really ever happens
to the main character in a novel.
But if the story opens with a
minor character or two..
And with those words, spoken by a seemingly “minor†character, the Elongated Man, the most anticipated comics event of 2004 opens.
The Elongated Man along with under-used “Firestorm family†heroine Firehawk are on a stakeout awaiting a nefarious buyer-seller transaction to go down. The “hot item� A large weapon of some sort? Maybe.
The stakeout scene really sets the tone for this book and presumably the series. The “human†elements and insight readers get into the mind of the Elongated Man… no, I should say… Ralph Dibny is refreshing.
Writer Brad Meltzer follows this up, with a similarly flavored scene not involving Superman, but his alter ego Clark Kent and his parents.
Brad has answered the question that many have debated. Superman is the disguise and Clark Kent is the man. Similarly, this is the thread through the opening issue. The heroes and heroines, and similarly the villains of the DC Universe (DCU), are not defined by their costumes, although they contribute to an endearing mythology, but by their experiences outside of the costumes. Its their motivations as humans or there experiences with humanity (as many of DC’s metahumans are aliens, deities, and others in addition to human beings) that push them to don costumes, a nom de guerre, and chose a profession (not a life) as an active metahuman in the DCU.
This also makes sense considering that the series is called Identity Crisis (IC) and is hyped to focus on the “secret identities†of the DCU heroes and heroines and the jeopardy that befalls those whose “real†lives are public. Writer Geoff Johns tackled this very issue in the pages of Flash recently, and the fascination with the subject seems to be at the heart of IC.
With this in mind, following the very human Clark Kent moments, we have a tender Dick Grayson (Nightwing of the Outsiders) and Kory Anders (Starfire of the Teen Titans) moment that speaks volumes to the personal connection and history of the two who were lovers in the 1980s and early 1990s and are now friends. When you are with someone in a relationship, even when its over, you still remember the important days. The birthdays. The anniversaries. Its this kind of “real†touch that gives readers a sense of recognition as to why Dick and Kory are together in the scene in IC. A tender moment rooted in the reality of life. A well-done poignant moment.
The comics event of the year begins…
Writer Brad Meltzer may be a comics neophyte, but his recent run on Green Arrow is quite possibly the best run of that franchise since Mike Grell’s Longbow Hunters from the 1980s.
So, while it is a surprise that DC would allow the prominence that Ralph Dibny has in IC so far, Oliver Queen’s (Green Arrow) front-and-centre role is not.
The many stakeout scenes allow readers to get into the head of Ralph Dibny. In later panels, readers also get into the head of the metahuman villain who is after the crate that Ralph and Firehawk have staked out.
Its interesting how the villain’s thought process is presented. As with the heroes, this portrayal is also rooted in a humanity that really conveys his conflicted emotions. Its a portrayal that may not evoke sympathy, but it does evoke an understanding of his plight.
The humanity penned by Meltzer is rendered beautifully by penciller Rags Morales and inker Michael Bair. Its a successful partnership forged in an understated run on DC’s Hawkman series.
Rags is one of the best artist in the business today particularly when drawing facial expressions that convey the emotions of the moment.
The love in the eyes of Ralph Dibny. The wonder in the eyes of Firehawk. The parental respect in the eyes of Clark Kent. The mischievousness in the eyes of Oliver Queen. I can go on, but Rags’ eyes and facial expressions are an important part of the humanity throughout the issue.
These all lead to a death.
… with a whimper…
While the way the issue is written leads to a death that makes sense story-wise, it is a death of a JLA-connected character that does not live up to the hype of IC. Having said that, this only the first issue, and we’ll just have to see how the story shakes out.
There are also some character-placements and costumes of funeral-goers that are inconsistent with current continuity, but they are not that distracting since the pencils of Rags Morales are just so breathtaking.
… & a bang!
Everything else about the book is phenomenal. I’ve already mentioned the humanity conveyed in the book.
I’m also a big fan of the “investigation†that takes place by DC’s metahuman community after the death in the JLA family. Oliver Queen goes to work as Green Arrow and takes charge.
Batman and the Elongated Man, DCU’s top detectives, initially investigate, with the crime scene also examined by various metahumans in a process that was established after the death of Superman and refined after Green Arrow’s.
Although there are many nods to DC’s past, this is not a continuity-heavy book that makes it inaccessible. Its an entertaining read whether you’re a newbie or veteran fan.
Green Arrow’s Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) crew includes Mister Miracle, the Atom weaving himself through and inspecting all carpet fibers, the Ray doing a spectrum analysis, the Metal Men conducting metallurgy scans, Animal Man attempting to get a scent or whiff of the perpetrator, and Metamorpho to analyze any element the team can’t identify.
The funeral scene is touching, even with some character and costume placement issues, particularly those revolving around the spouse of the dead JLA’er. The emotion and real tragedy that those panels convey is quite moving.
After the funeral, DCU’s metahuman community compile a list of likely suspects. They breakup and in their respective teams track down a suspect.
This leaves an old school Justice League incarnation behind who seem to know what “really†may be going on because they share a dangerous secret that no one else knows. Its a nice-cliffhanger that has me eagerly waiting next month’s issue.
IC #1 has it all and is the one of the best comics I’ve read this year. Its an engaging and entertaining story that is well-worth the cover price.
Highly recommended!
