Review – Mr. Terrific: Year One #1
Ray: Mr. Terrific has been at the core of much of what's going on in the DCU, as the self-proclaimed third-smartest man in the world has been key to investigating the Omega energy spread around the world by Darkseid's death and the anomalies it's causing. But even he's running into some dead ends with the mystery, and that causes him to reflect back on the early days of his superhero career – which was the last time he saw something like this. We know the broad strokes of his early days, when he lost his wife and unborn child, but we haven't seen much of him from that period – and it's not a pretty picture. When we meet him, he's spent years in a stupor, sold his company to the shady tech magnate Athena Prescott, and mainly only talks to his AI. The only person still checking in on him is his best friend Dre – and Dre also has some serious concerns about what Prescott is doing to the city. Beyond the veil. Via DC Comics.
Using Holt and Paula's technology, Prescott has built a powerful engine that promises to bring clean energy to Gateway City – but it's causing odd health side effects to everyone around it. Prescott is shutting down any debate and the city is all too willing to roll over for her, so it falls to Dre and his allies to investigate – by breaking into the tower. This leads to a tense escape segment as the assassin Comorant is dispatched to track them down – followed by a tense cliffhanger that leaves Holt with no choice to get back into the field and rediscover the grit and genius that makes him a hero. This first issue has a lot of strong moments, even if the ending does rely on a trope that's all too common in superhero comics. But I'm particularly interested in it because it looks to be one of the most honest portrayals of depression and grief in a superhero comic. Very impressive start by the creative team.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
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