by Peter Milligan, Max Fiumara and more
collects Infinity Inc. v. 2 # 1-5
(art pictured is not actual cover)
the premise: The survivors of Lex Luthor's Everyman Project have lost their powers - or so they think - but weird things are happening to them, both physically and mentally. John Irons is determined to get at the truth before more danger strikes!
the lowdown: The Steel/ Natasha plot was easily the weakest of the storylines in 52, but Milligan co-opts it here and turns it into something entirely different (and better). Much like he did with X-Statix or Human Target, Milligan uses some of the genre conceits to explore a theme - here it's the psychological damage of having (or not having) meta-abilities. The lead characters are all in therapy when the story starts, and their mental problems are at least as important to the story as the physical threat they face.
Although the book looks like a superhero team book, and *sort of* is, it's not a traditional team with a base, missions etc. These kids are really just trying to stay alive and figure themselves out. I'm not sure how "authentic" they really are as teenagers, but their problems are interesting, and Milligan uses their physical transformations to explore gender/ sexual confusion, megalomania, and more. It's not so much that the characters are likeable or unlikeable - more that they're unusual, and you never quite know where the story's going. Other than some occasionally heavy-handed exposition, Milligan pulls this off well.
Fiumara's art suits the book very well. It's a little offbeat, kind of ugly in places but intentionally so. Everyone has a distinct look, the women aren't all pinups, etc. - it's nice work.
the verdict: This is a really strange series about odd people doing odd things. It's not quite like anything else on the stands. I dug it. Recommended for folks looking for a superhero book that's a little off the beaten path.
2 comments:
I liked this book, as well. But, as with most comics I like, this one was cancelled not too long ago. There are some nice developments, but I'm not sure you'll like how it ends. Not Milligan's fault, but you can tell that he was rushed with the ending...or, well, whatever there was of an ending.
To tell you the truth, I've quit even worrying about cancellations. Particularly with DC a lot of the stuff I like tends to sell poorly, so I go in knowing it's likely to have a short shelf life. If I end up with 2, 3, howevermany entertaining TPBs on my shelf I'm satisfied.
To some extent I think it's almost preferable this way, in that it allows for finite stories, which both DC and Marvel struggle to tell otherwise due to the pursuit of the almighty dollar.
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