FIRESTORM #21 REVIEW

[Matt DeWoskin]

Review by: Matt DeWoskin mattdew@earthlink.net
Quick Rating: Good
Title: Building a Better Firestorm, Book One: The Chalk Circle

Firestorm, having been "killed" in Infinite Crisis, is resurrected by Dr. Stein.

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/564/Firestorm21.jpg"target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/564/Firestorm21.jpg"align="right" border="0"> </a>Writer: Stuart Moore
Pencils: Jamal Igle & Eddy Barrows
Inks: Rob Stull
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: Travis Lanham
Cover: Jamal Igle & Keith Champagne (with special thanks to George Perez)
Editors: Stephen Wacker & Michael Siglain
Publisher: DC Comics

Review: This issue ties in directly with Infinite Crisis #4, the editors even suggest reading it before reading this. Without reading Infinite Crisis, you'd probably be fairly lost. Especially the way the opening flashback leads into this story. This is actually a very emotionally charged issue. Stuart Moore has returned this title's sense of fun, but that doesn't mean he can't deliver in the drama department as well. Moore continues to develop Jason in a manner that Jolley could never get quite right. He also gets bonus points for taking his time and bringing Dr. Stein back in a way that makes sense.

This issue opens with a Flashback sequence. Ronnie and Dr. Stein are merged as Firestorm and have to foil a few thieves. Dr. Stein offers advice, whil Ronnie quips and uses his powers to foil the thieves. Ronnie asks Dr. Stein if he's ever lost anyone and Jason Rusch wakes up with those words echoing in his head. Dr. Stein (the Firestorm elemental) is directly in front of Jason in the middle of outer space. He explains that what he saw was Jason tapping into the Firestorm Matrix and accessing a memory. The big reveal here is that Jason didn't know that his actions in Infinite Crisis #4 caused him to die. In his death, Mick was also killed. Using Air Wave, Donna Troy is able to send a message to Jason's father, notifying him of Jason's death. Jason and Dr. Stein converse for a while, about the history of Firestorm. Jason ultimately asks Dr. Stein for help, he denies Jason's request. Jason asks again, this time mentioning the G'Nesh (a race of people that Martin lived with for a while, they were all killed by Thanagarians). This time Dr. Stein agrees to help.

I was sad to learn of Mick's passing, although after reading Infinite Crisis #4, it was really just something that needed to be confirmed. He and Jason worked well together and I doubt this will be the last of Mick on this title. Not a lot really happened in terms of the plot of this story arc, at least not until the last few panels. This issue was mainly the set up for the changes that are coming on this title and it was fairly interesting to read, now it just needs to pay off. Jason and Dr. Stein's voices are both clear and distinct and their dialogue is functional in terms of story and character. I believed that the words coming out of their mouths were their own. I have to admit not all of this issue was as functional as the Jason/Dr. Stein plotline. I'm still trying to figure out the signifigance of the chalk circle sequence, it has me scratching my head.

I know that Ronnie fans are going to be thinking that they're half way to getting the old team of Ronnie and Dr. Stein back on this title, but really, if DC was going to make the switch, wouldn't they have done it when Ronnie made his return to this title?

The artwork was actually fairly slick on this issue, despite the guest penciller brought in to draw the meat of this issue. Igle only drew the opening sequence, supposedly to keep the next few issues of this title on schedule. Igle was able to give the opening sequence and old school feel. It looked like an sequence from the previous volumes of Firestorm, just with slicker inks. Eddy Barrows did a nice job filling in. He used Igle's character designs, so there is nothing really groundbreaking there. A big highlight of this issue was the way Jason's dad handled the news of Jason's death. From a visual standpoint, it's handled in a tasteful manner that still manages to deliver without being over the top. The cover to this looks like something that was a lot of fun to draw and the George Perez influence is very evident, even without the special thanks at the end.

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[T.C. Johnson]

I really do not like this issue. I hate the fact you have to read Infinite Crisis to understand what is going on, and I really don't like the way that Mick's death was handled.

[Mark Blicharz]

Originally Posted by T.C. Johnson

I really do not like this issue. I hate the fact you have to read Infinite Crisis to understand what is going on, and I really don't like the way that Mick's death was handled.

Actual continuity will do that to you.

[Blake Petit]

Originally Posted by T.C. Johnson

I hate the fact you have to read Infinite Crisis to understand what is going on

Yeah, that's probably as irritating as reading a comic only to, say, find out that one of your favorite characters has lost his powers because of something that happened in another book entirely.

[T.C. Johnson]

This isn't about continuity. It is cheap tricks to get you to buy more comics. They could have made this a more self contained story entirely without sacrificing anything.

And say what you will about Marvel but at least they included a page in the beginning letting you know what happened in HOM.

[Jim Wright]

I didn't understand the chalk circle thing myself...but I loved this issue. I've always liked the Professor from way back.
It'll be interesting to see if the Professor has a body after Jason reverts back to himself or if he'll be a mentoring spirit. I also wonder how Jason's dad is going to handle it when Jason gets back. Man, I love where this is going.

Originally Posted by T.C. Johnson

This isn't about continuity. It is cheap tricks to get you to buy more comics. They could have made this a more self contained story entirely without sacrificing anything.

And say what you will about Marvel but at least they included a page in the beginning letting you know what happened in HOM.

The point is tho, both companies use those tricks. It's part of the industry. Why else would Wolverine be everywhere?

[T.C. Johnson]

Oh, I know. And I really don't like big crossovers at all. But the point where you have to read Infinite Crisis to understand almost every DC book is just getting rediculous. Let it end already!

[Jim Wright]

It's a two-edged sword tho. If you had a big miniseries with wide ramifications for a character and then when it was over, just ignored it, you'd get people mad at you. (For example, HoM with Gwen Stacy alive and married to Peter being ignored for "The Other" storyline. I'm enjoying "The Other" but when HoM was hyped up as having lasting effects on the people involved, but they ignore Peter more or less.)

Either way, all comic book companies are out to make money. One way or another.

[T.C. Johnson]

FOr my money, the way marvel structured HOM is a lot better than they are doing Infinite Crisis.

[Jim Wright]

Originally Posted by T.C. Johnson

FOr my money, the way marvel structured HOM is a lot better than they are doing Infinite Crisis.

Then your tastes differ from mine...not that there's anything wrong with that..

[Walt Kneeland]

Originally Posted by T.C. Johnson

This isn't about continuity. It is cheap tricks to get you to buy more comics. They could have made this a more self contained story entirely without sacrificing anything.

And say what you will about Marvel but at least they included a page in the beginning letting you know what happened in HOM.

I think with that, a single page showing a couple panels from IC # 4, and a paragraph or two of text to explain what happened would work as a good lead-in.

On that, just occurred to me: Star Wars opened with a couple paragraphs of text to set up the story, and then launched in right in the middle of stuff.

-----

On the issue itself, I enjoyed this one...though the first I'd ever heard of a "Firestorm Matrix" was IC # 4 (I think?) and this issue.

For the most part, other than the general character concept and fact-of-existence, I never knew the Ronnie character, so don't miss him; though the more I hear about him, the more I think I'd be interested in a Showcase Presents: Firestorm volume.

[PinchyWearO]

Originally Posted by Blake Petit

Yeah, that's probably as irritating as reading a comic only to, say, find out that one of your favorite characters has lost his powers because of something that happened in another book entirely.

Wow, didn't take long for someone to bash the opposing company...that had nothing to do with this thread. I thought I was at Newsarama for a second.