Minet Library - last due date 2/7/11

Didn't get really get on with this. Maybe I don't know enough of the
relevant background (I'm more of a Marvel Zombie, never feeling that close to
the Distinguished Competition). But... I found the writing a bit
disjointed and rather ponderous. The art has its moments, but
honestly not really enough (and it also has its low points).

Will try to pick up volume 2, just to see if it improves. ( )

QUADRINHOS: http://www.planocritico.com/category/quadrinhos/ ( )

1st Read: [3/5]

2nd Read:
And here i thought it would work better on a reread... This is just frustrating.
Essentially its a reboot of the entire DC universe and really doesn't have time for an actual storyline.
Most of the plot threads you can untangle from the mess focus on the most uninteresting of the DC pantheon.
At times it reads like a cheap immitation of Watchmen. Its dark, incorporating real world politics, which are never explored enough to be interesting but are still in-your-face enough to take any joy out of the story.

The art is somhow still confusing in places despite being quite simplistic. For some reason the Martian Man-Hunter got an upgrade and looks genuinely cool; but that actually seems out of place since every other character is so 1950's it feels like a parody at times.

The Wonder Woman stuff had potential but is too short to matter. Bat-Man and the Martian are probably the best part but i soooo.... don't care about anything happening here.

I don't remember what happens in the sequel but i am not looking forward to that reread. ( )

This is one of my favorite Silver Age DC story ever. Cooke is obviously a huge fan of this period, and it comes through in his writing. He also does such a fantastic job of incorporating real-world history into his version of the DC Universe. Seeing the impact on McCarthyism and the fear created during the Red Scare on the world and life of the Superhero is powerful, especially seeing what became of the Justice Society of America members. The other beautiful thing about New Frontier is the way Darwyn looks at the lives of these heroes outside of their adventures. We see Hal Jordan at his lowest before he gained the mantle of the Green Lantern, we see Ted "Wildcat" Grant fighting one of his final bouts in the ring against Cassius Clay (Muhammed Ali), we see the Challengers of the Unknown before they were a group (and the connections between Ace Morgan, Hal Jordan, Rick Flagg, and King Faraday was absolute genius). This is such a fantastic read. ( )

In an "Elseworlds" universe, at the end of WWII anti-Communist politicians have turned their eyes towards the costumed heroes of the DC Universe, outlawing all superheroes who will not sign a loyalty oath. Unsurprisingly, few heroes agree, leaving Batman, the JSA and others searching for meaning. Other heroes begin to emerge, and struggle in the climate of hostility.

This is a clever take on the "Elseworlds" formula. With WWII being over, and the red scare in full effect, the silver age heroes of the DCU get a heaping dose of reality when McCarthyism comes for them. Of the heroes, only Superman and Wonder Woman agree to sign the loyalty oath, and these two are instrumental in rounding up other costumed vigilantes. Rather than unmask and sign the oath, the JSA simply retires. Unsurprisingly, Gotham's hero, the Bat-Man, refuses to surrender, and takes out Superman with a strange green substance. Elsewhere, in the final days of the Korean War, young pilot Hal Jordan faces a crisis of character that leaves him unfit for duty, but ripe for shadowy government recruitment. A black man in the deep South, victim of unspeakable horror, prepares for vengeance and an alien, brought here by mistake, tries to blend in, with humorous results. Wonder Woman, doing the government's work in Southeast Asia, begins to doubt her choices, while Superman turns a blind eye.

I really enjoyed this series, although I am not that familiar with the heroes of the Silver Age. Cooke's Kirby-esque art style really sells the period setting, and all of the heroes behave according to their origins, not modern retcons. It's nice to see. As there is a second volume, there is little closure here, which is a little frustrating. I know I'll read the second volume, as I am curious about Wonder Woman's crisis of conscience and Hal Jordan's evolution into Green Lantern. ( )