Story Title: Unmasked
Reviewed by: Mathan “Cold Warrior” Erhardt
Written by: Danny Bilson, Paul DeMeo & Adam Brody
Penciled by: Jerry Ordway
Inked by: Al Vey
Colored by: Jonny Rench
Lettered by: Rob Leigh
Editors: Ben Abernathy & Scott Beterson
Publisher: Wildstorm/DC Comics
The issue begins with the heroic Eagle testifying before HUAC. Actually he does more than that, he reveals his identity to the committee. After a long day of testifying the newly unmasked Steve Tremaine goes to rest his head and the Blur a heroic contemporary pays him a visit. They chat about how his actions affect the other heroes in the “League of Heroes” and how his revelation will affect Tremaine’s life from this point on.
Shortly thereafter Tremaine is recalled to testify and painted a communist for remaining friends with an ally from WWII, who happened to be a Soviet. From there we see the reaction of the Eagle’s biggest fan and Tremaine’s daughter. When Tremaine gets into a altercation with shoe assigned to keep an eye on him, things end badly. Later the Eagle’s biggest fan, a kid with telekinesis, adopts the identity of the Grey Falcon and finds himself in over his head.
The story is pretty compelling. The trio of writers do a great job of setting the tone and capturing the mood. The lingo seems correct. The problem is that this issue is all build up. We never see the Eagle in action and we don’t know Grey Falcon’s name. Apart from the Blur we don’t meet any other heroes. Tremaine is an interesting character, but there’s little to sink your teeth into. It’s a frustrating read.
On the art side, Ordway and Vey are still amazing. The book looks fantastic. The décor seems pure 1950’s as do the fashion styles. This issue looks like every movie set during the HUAC “witch hunts.” The coloring is muted to reflect the era, but it’s not drab. The art is just flawless.
