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. ( )

A "retro" look at the events and characters of the DC universe, from the ending of WWII up to about the late 1950's. This is a very intriguing look at what might have happened had all the various heroes from the comics of that time operated in the same literary universe. The big hitters are here, such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and many obscure heroes, such as Hourman and the Doom Patrol. The premise is one that's been trotted out before, that of government suspicion of the heroes (particularly believable in the paranoid 1950's), and the subsequent demand that they unmask and register with the Feds. The stories are told in a series of disjointed episodes that seem to be coming together by the end of the book. The artwork, a sort of 1950's revival style, is particularly apt too. This book has great potential that I am intrigued to see if it is realized when the concluding second book comes out. ( )

The first part of Darwyn Cooke's excellent New Frontier series. I put off getting this or reading it for quite a long time, and that was definitely a mistake. It is well worth a look at the characters and the situations that Cooke explores in this particular era of the heroes and comics that it is set on.

http://graphicsf.blogspot.com/2006/12/new-frontier-1.html ( )