New History of the DC Universe:
The Dakota Incident #1
Milestone changed the face of the comics industry when it launched back in 1993. Created by visionary creators Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, Derek T. Dingle and Christopher Priest (though Priest would leave the company before any issues had been published), Milestone was created with a mission in mind: create new superheroes and new stories for a community that the comic industry has often overlooked.
The company launched with four titles: Blood Syndicate, Hardware, Icon and Static. The latter’s title character would go on to become one of the most beloved characters in modern comics. The company launched at a trying time for the industry. From 1993 to 1997, the comic book industry reached a saturation point and the bubble would burst, leading to the closure of roughly two-thirds of comic shops. Milestone would shut down its comic division in 1997. Though it was an unfortunate ending to a burgeoning universe full of characters that proved anyone can be a hero.
Luckily, it wasn’t a permanent end for Milestone. The company would shift into TV, licensing characters for the animated series Static Shock, which premiered in the fall of 2000. The show would go on to be nominated for both Emmy and Annie awards. Most importantly, it would introduce a new generation to Static and keep the Dakotaverse alive in the consciousness of comic fans. Milestone would languish for years at DC. The company would occasionally make feeble efforts to revive Milestone characters. Notably, Static received a new ongoing series with the launch of the New 52 in 2011, but DC would cancel the series after only eight issues. Milestone would not officially return until 2020 with the aptly named Milestone Returns #0.
Now Milestone returns once again in The New History of the DC Universe: The Dakota Incident #1. An addition to DC’s recent unification of its history and lore, The Dakota Incident is a tour de force of art and storytelling from some of the best talent in comics today.
I hope DC will make good on the book’s cliffhanger: “A new beginning.” The Milestone characters are an iconic part of comic book history, and their stories deserve a new generation of readers. So let’s hope we will get some new series announcements — a new Static ongoing? Perhaps an Icon and Rocket revival? Heck, I’d settle for Blood Syndicate.
Even beyond Milestone, there’s a plethora of diverse characters that DC seems to have forgotten about. From Bumblebee to Tyroc, there’s no shortage of options. Maybe an Absolute Universe reimagining of some of these characters could give readers a fresh jumping-on point. Stephanie Williams has been dropping hints she wants to write a Vixen series for weeks, it’s been nearly three years since DC announced a mainline universe ongoing series with a Black lead. I’m tired of seeing characters that have the potential to be at the center of great stories relegated to February variant covers and the most limited of limited series. Enough time has been wasted letting these characters languish in forced obscurity. DC has an opportunity to carry on the legacy of Dwayne McDuffie and Milestone Media. It’s not something that should be squandered.
Absolute Wonder Woman #17
There’s a Steven Universe song that describes this issue perfectly, but you’ll have to read it to find out which one it is (I guess you have to watch Steven Universe, too, if you haven’t. I forget we’re not all jaded zillennials).
When last we saw Wonder Woman and crew, their night at the museum was cut short by Zatanna and the Suicide Squad. Now Wonder Woman faces a threat unlike anything she’s seen, outnumbered and perhaps outmatched by Zatanna. What will Diana do when her back is against the wall?
This issue is all action and all the better for it. Wonder Woman is no stranger to nonviolent resolutions (peep the Absolute Wonder Woman Annual for a prime example). That said, it’s really fun to watch her punch things. No magic, just hands and the determination of an Amazon warrior raised in Hell.
Hayden Sherman ups the ante in this issue, drawing a massive battle that feels as grand as any Greek myth. Kelly Thompson continues to prove why she won that Eisner. Diana is no longer a stranger to the world. She’s become a beacon for her city and a symbol of hope around the world. She has merch, for crying out loud! This is her first time defending Gateway City when its citizens are counting on her. Thompson expresses Diana’s worry for her friends and the civilians perfectly. The stakes have never felt higher than in this issue, but Wonder Woman moves with a confidence and braggadocio that arguably makes her the coolest of the Absolute trio.
The fight for Gateway City is far from over, though, and Veronica Cale has a few more tricks up her sleeve. How Wonder Woman will prevail is anyone’s guess. Make sure to cop this issue for the best Amazon action this side of the Mississippi!
P.S. If you’ve got to do some catching up, Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 2 is out now.
Absolute Martian Manhunter #9
Alienation, isolation and despair. The deadly cocktail that oft turns good folks into apathetic shells of themselves. Friends, coworkers and neighbors hollowed out into empty vessels for nefarious forces. It’s enough to make anyone question their sanity.
The Martian is gone, taken by shady government types that spend their days pondering how to make everyday people’s lives significantly worse. Now John is on his own, searching for his old partner. By his side is a new one that leaves a lot to be desired.
It’s the oldest philosophical question — glass half full or half empty — put to the page in spectacularly surreal fashion by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez. Can the power of positive thinking save our favorite nicotine-addicted detective, or will he succumb and embrace the darkness that percolates the Absolute universe?
With only three issues left, the weirdest tale of the Absolute universe is approaching its inevitable end. Will John ever make sense of his new reality? Will the Martian get free? Or will it all come tumbling down? This is a must-read for fans of anything weird. This book puts vibes over plot and feelings over facts.
Surreal, sardonic and surprisingly hopeful, Absolute Martian Manhunter is a one-of-a-kind story that pulls you into a world as familiar as it is strange. I implore you to jump in before it’s all over!
Some thoughts on some previous weeks releases...
It feels like a lifetime since Bane systematically ruined the lives of Batman’s closest friends. For a quick recap, Bane burned Harvey Dent across 50% of his body, broke nearly every bone in Oswald Cobblepot’s body. Then he shook Edward Nigma so hard he gave him brain damage and proceeded to poke his eyes out. It’s sad when the luckiest member of your friend group is a toss-up between the black-and-white cookie-style third-degree burn victim and a mutant crocodile man. Despite the grim diagnosis, Bruce Wayne is still determined to make amends, and where modern medicine falls short, perhaps magic can make a way. So he calls the Witch of the Wild Isle, Wonder Woman, for help.
This issue is Batman settling his unfinished business, namely finding a cure for his friend Waylon Jones, boxer and childhood friend of Bruce who was mutated into the beast known as Killer Croc back in Absolute Batman #10. A major recurring theme in this series is Batman’s feeling that he is failing to be the kind of hero his dad was. Bruce doesn’t just want to beat bad guys to a pulp, but to save the innocent lives they threaten in the first place. So far, Batman’s been able to save the city, but his friends became unwilling casualties in his “war on crime.” This story is about Batman doing whatever it takes to save his friend — even if it means going to hell and back.
It’s also the second part of Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman’s duet (see Absolute Wonder Woman #15 for their first meeting). Batman needs Wonder Woman to help him cure Waylon, and lucky for him, Wonder Woman knows of an artifact that can help. The only wrinkle in their plan is that it’s not on this plane of existence. Undeterred, Batman and Wonder Woman set off for a weeks-long journey to face the Centaur Lord who holds the artifact Waylon needs to be human again.
The journey into the underworld is a lot of fun. Batman is as skeptical as he is curious, asking Wonder Woman a million questions and never seeming to fully square the otherworldly landscape he finds himself in with the reality he knows. Just a few weeks ago, he was battling street-level henchmen and international warlords. Now he’s found himself in a world of gods and monsters where he’s no longer the scariest one in the room. It’s a lot of fun to see Batman out of his element, and his back-and-forth with Wonder Woman is endearing as they trade backstories. They seem to have an unspoken understanding of each other as warriors, and Wonder Woman is clearly one of the few people Batman trusts.
The action in this issue is over the top and fun as Diana and Bruce battle a centaur. On paper, it’s the kind of plot you’d expect from the Silver Age, but it’s played straight, albeit with a few great comedic moments. Batman, in particular, has a very single-brain-cell moment during the fight, but to be fair, Bruce Wayne is a city boy, so he couldn’t have known.
Snyder opts for a lighter tone on this issue, which is a nice change of pace for the series. Nick Dragotta does excellent work crafting a new region of the underworld. His Wonder Woman and Pegasus look amazing as well. Diana looks more rageful than we’ve seen her, and she towers over everyone around her. She also gets the best action moments in this issue, and it’s clear that Batman could not have made it without her. Here’s hoping we get more of this duo soon. In the meantime, pick up this issue for a fun, mostly self-contained adventure.
Absolute Wonder Woman #16
Fresh off defeating her magic doppelganger and an adventure with Batman (pick up Absolute Batman #16 for more of their team-up), Wonder Woman returns for a quieter issue that ties up loose ends and serves as a fantastic start to the new story arc.
It’s a night out on the town for Diana and the Wonder Crew (you can have that name for free, DC). They’re celebrating the grand opening of a new Greek mythology wing in Gateway City’s Natural History Museum, which means they’re dressed to the nines for the red carpet. It’s a sleek black dress for Diana (personally, I think she’s rocking Saint Laurent). To quote GloRilla, it’s giving hair, face, [redacted], [redacted].
Outfits aside, this is an amazing moment and helps define who Wonder Woman is. Unlike the reclusive Batman, Diana was always ready to be a symbol of hope. She’s not someone who hides in the shadows, but embraces the light. She’s a beacon for humanity, a reminder that kindness is a strength and mercy should be given at every opportunity. Wonder Woman inspires us to be our best selves. So seeing the people of Gateway City embrace her is moving and feels earned at this point in Kelly Thompson’s fantastic run.
Hayden Sherman continues to amaze. From glamorous red carpets to the dark, ethereal shores of hell, everything looks incredible. Action flows effortlessly, and each blow lands with thunderous force. Panel layouts are wildly creative, and this issue features the best yet — a full-page swirl of punches, kicks and godly combos that illustrate just how ruthless a fighter Wonder Woman is.
The flashback sequences to Diana’s life in hell are one of the highlights of this series, and luckily we get our first look at two more Olympians who aided Diana in her youth. Thompson writes the Olympians with a quiet gravitas. They don’t loudly boast, but it’s clear that words carry tremendous weight, and they won’t tolerate disrespect even from the fiery Princess of Hell herself. I love the way they’re drawn as well. Depicting a deity is always a demanding task. The popular choice these days seems to be depicting gods as regular people, albeit with an outfit that cleverly references what they’re the god of. There isn’t anything wrong with that approach, and I understand the budget reasons behind why so many live-action shows do it. For comics, however, it would just feel boring to not have a little whimsy, so I’m glad the creative team opted for something different. Sherman and colorist Jordie Bellaire do phenomenal work making the two goddesses feel otherworldly and larger than life, but still worthy of trust.
The big draw for this issue is, of course, the Mistress of Magic herself, Zatanna. While we don’t get much of her in this issue, her entrance is unforgettable. Her character design is flawless, her powers incredible, and her one-liners drip with braggadocio. She’s the only villain thus far that feels like an actual threat. No doubt Zatanna will push Wonder Woman to the limit — or maybe it could be enemies to lovers. It’s anyone’s guess, really. Until then, we’re left to wonder how Wonder Woman will get out of this one. My guess: It’ll involve a lot of punching.
Absolute Martian Manhunter #8
Can we just make this an ongoing series already?!
Absolute Martian Manhunter continues to be the weirdest corner of the Absolute Universe. Tinged in psychedelic colors and saturated by themes of isolation, paranoia and disillusion, John Jones is battling on the front lines of Darkseid and the Anti-Life Equation’s war on humanity. Make no mistake — the enemy has broken through the lines of John Jones’ city. The ideas of Anti-Life have seeped in, infecting citizens with distrust, apathy and confusion.
John Jones can see it in the technicolor thoughts that radiate from his fellow humans (is he human?). The fevered musings of a populace in peril color John’s world, and the Martian only he can see doesn’t help make much sense of it. It’s that lack of clarity that makes this the darkest of the Absolute titles. The threats facing Martian Manhunter’s city are ones that can’t be punched away — isolation, the death of community, the growing mistrust and division among everyday people. These aren’t easily solved problems, and they’re ones most of us have felt in our own lives and communities.
Camp weaves all these concerns into a mind-altering tale elevated by Javier Rodriguez’s incredible art. Colors are rich and vibrant, and heavy shadows give the book a neon-noir feel reminiscent of films like Drive and Good Time. The creativity of the page layouts continues to astonish, and I’m taken aback by every fourth wall break that suddenly pulls us readers into the story in unsettling ways.
This book isn’t just phenomenal, it’s special, and I have a feeling it will be remembered as one of the best comics of the decade. Pick up Absolute Martian Manhunter and expand your mind beyond the mundane!
Iron Man #1
Tony Stark: genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Recent years have been kind to Iron Man. A generational performance by Robert Downey Jr. skyrocketed the Armored Avenger from the C-list to a household name and top-billed hero.
Before that, Iron Man was a bum who couldn’t hold a candle to the X-Men or Spider-Man, but a generation raised on the MCU has changed the pop culture landscape. For many superhero fans today, Iron Man is their GOAT — the greatest Avenger and the best superhero to ever do it.
Which leaves Iron Man comics in an odd spot. A character who has historically lagged behind Marvel’s more iconic characters in sales became the face of Marvel from 2008 to 2019 (and after, but the MCU has been bleeding goodwill post-Endgame).
This new No. 1 seeks to change that and put Iron Man on top of the Marvel Comics universe as one of its premiere heroes.
The results are mixed. Don’t get me wrong — this book feels premium. The art is top-tier, and the scale is as grandiose as Tony Stark’s personality. The story is ambitious as well, with Iron Man at the center and target of what could be a universe wide conspiracy. It certainly feels like a step in the right direction, and the series seems poised to delve into some of Stark’s character flaws. I have my doubts, though. It’s not that this book isn’t good, it’s an exciting first issue for sure! I just don’t know if Iron Man can ever become the hero Marvel wants him to be without the charm of Robert Downey Jr.
This is definitely a great new chapter in Iron Man’s story. I look forward to seeing where the series goes and what Tony Stark is capable of when his back is against the wall.
I've worked at Dr No's for just less than a year and I've been patronizing them for half my life. I like comics, video games, music and sometimes sports.
I’m a GSU graduate, veteran sandwich artist, and aspiring writer. Ask me about the X-Men or my anime car sometime.
I think all comics are good they're human expression, dreams put to a page through days, months and years of dedication. They're windows into other worlds, aspirations of all we can be, warnings of what we may become and everything in between. Above all I think comics can help us understand the things we often don't consider.
That's what I want these reviews to do, help folks understand maybe even appreciate something they haven't seen before, but yea lemme wrap this up I got books to file. Happy reading!
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