[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writers: Ryan Sook, Cary Nord, and Steve Orlando
Inks: Mick Gray and Wade von Grawbadger
Colors: FCO Plascencia
Summary
Meet Janet Fals, a.k.a Firebrand. She has the Conflict Engine where her heart used to be, and now she has to fight every 24 hours or else she dies. The conflict engine, however, comes from the aftermath of Dark Nights: Metal, so she is about to encounter threats no one knows exist.
Positives
For both the good and bad, this comic is a wild ride. First and foremost, the visuals are stunning. They have created some absolutely amazing scenes in this first issue, and I would highly recommend looking back at the comic a second time just for the visuals. From the rainbow blood to the unique character designs to some of the most amazing fight scenes I have seen in a long time, this art work can definitely support everything this series is trying to do.
For those who don’t know, the authors have said that this series will go behind the scenes of some of the biggest events across the multiverse that happened and were prevented in the last ten years. They dropped names such as Dark Nights: Metal and Final Crisis, so they are promising some big things here all while introducing new characters.
The primary character, Firebrand, is a resounding success. The conflict between her need to fight and desire to help is a remarkably original idea, and that is very rare to see.
Negatives
This series is determined to live up to its name and with those constant surprises comes some good and some bad. Sometimes the constant “shock factor” took me out of the issue entirely because I felt as though nothing mattered. Also, the setup for the villain Quench was very lackluster for me. A villain that can carry a series needs to be calculating, and Quench was not.
Verdict
Honestly, I don’t know what to think of this yet. There is a lot of good and some bad, but no matter what I am along for this wild ride.
