At the end of the month, DC launches a new mini-series expanding the origin of Mister Terrific.
From DC:
“Before Mr. Terrific makes his big-screen debut in the upcoming Superman feature film, learn his origin in an all-new DC six-issue comic book series!
Brilliant young inventor Michael Holt’s life was destined for greatness…yet everything screeched to a halt when his wife Paula and unborn son were killed in a car accident. The Holts once shared ambitious dreams of using their technology to help others, but after the tragedy, Michael retreats from society and sells Holt Industries to mysterious and craven tech billionaire Athena Prescott.
The domino effect of Michael’s actions set off an explosive chain of events that take a not-so-ordinary man from the depths of despair to the heights of heroism! Meanwhile, in the present day, Mr. Terrific continues his research into what became of Darkseid after the events of the DC All In Special…and comes to realize that his past and the present might be inextricably linked…
“I was really focused on bringing Michael’s life to a full-circle moment,” said Mr. Terrific: Year One writer Al Letson. “I don’t want to give too much away, but I wanted the stories about Mr. Terrific and the wider DC Universe to build to a moment where looking back at Michael’s past was necessary to understand the present.”
Discover all the secrets, sorrows, and triumphs of Mr. Terrific and how he came to be in this thrilling modern retelling and expansion of his origin story by DC Writer’s Workshop alumnus and multiple-award-winning TV writer Al Letson (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) and British Fantasy Award-winning artist Valentine De Landro (Black Manta, Bitch Planet), along with a sequence drawn by Edwin Galmon (Superman: House of Brainiac Special)!”
A Brief Introduction to Michael Holt
Michael Holt first appeared in The Spectre #54 (Vol.3) back in 1997. Michael Holt would take on the mantle of Terry Sloan’s Mister Terrific. As Michael Holt faced the prospect of taking his own life the Spectre intervened to share Sloane’s own story and how he turned despair into hope and helping others. Over the next ten years, Holt would be developed in the pages of JSA in which he would become a fan favorite Justice Society of America regular and chairman of the team.
When DC launched The New 52 in 2011, Mister Terrific got his own series. It struggled and it lacked any connection to the JSA and Holt lost the legacy aspect of his character. This made things a little difficult for the character. However, he did get his own team in 2018, The Terrifics in a series that examined his character through the relationships with his team members and the multiversal doppelganger of his deceased wife, Paula. This team series brought a whole new set of fans to the character and The Terrifics was the best of the “New Age of Heroes” initiative.
Michael Holt got some more development under Jeremy Adams during his time on The Flash. Holt employed Wally West as well as finding his once thought deceased unborn son who had been introduced in the pages of Stargirl: The Lost Children. Holt continued to be a member of the Justice Society and is currently one of the leads in Justice League Unlimited.
We Should Be Excited About Mr. Terrific #1
Michael Holt is a great character and his difficulty with faith and religion should resonate with many people. He and Pieter Cross Dr. Mid-Nite had an interesting friendship in the past. They maintained a close friendship despite having opposite views on faith and religion. There’s a lot of emotional drama to be mined with Holt’s history with the death of his wife and son, and subsequent discovery of living versions of both, as well as his desire to use his intelligence for the public good. The potential is there for a great series. Hopefully, this new series utilizes what’s come before as opposed to reinventing the wheel.
Mr. Terrific Year One #1 is on sale May 28, 2025!
