Ron RoweReview: End League #1
June 10th 2008 23:59
The End League #1 from Dark Horse Comics. Written by Rick Remender with art by Matt Broome & Sean Parsons.
Review: (Relatively spoiler-free)
Pastiche: [pa-steesh, pah-]–noun a literary, musical, or artistic piece consisting wholly or chiefly of motifs or techniques borrowed from one or more sources.
The End League is a pastiche of familiar comic book heroes in a new and decidedly dark setting. Years ago, Astonishman (Superman) inadvertently causes a global disaster by acting on information supplied by Dead Lexington (Lex Luthor). No he leads a team of the few remaining heroes against the forces of evil in a post-apocalyptic world of his own making.
In issue #1, Astonishman leads a team consisting of Divinity (Wonder Woman), Soldier American (Captain America), Prairie Ghost (Ghost Rider), and Blur (a lesbian version of the Flash) on a mission to retrieve much needed food from the villains' enormous storage complex. While instantly recognizable for the heroes they represent, these are darkened versions of our favorite characters, reflecting the world in which they live. Other familiar faces include Arachnakid (Spider-man), Mother Hive (A female Professor Xavier - physically confined but gifted with immense psychic power), Scarecrow Sinister (Scarecrow, if he was 1,000 times scarier), and Thor, who stands in for both Marvel's Thor and Hulk.
The one major character missing is Batman. But the letters page mentions a non-Magnificent (that is, a non-superpowered individual) named Black, so I am sure we'll be seeing the bat soon enough.
This comic is in the vein of The Dark Knight Returns and the Watchmen. Familiar heroes in a dystopian reality where none of the old rules apply. While Superman is never in any real jeopardy in his own comic, Astonishman may well not survive his encounter with Thor. The stakes are higher and the drama seems more real, as convention is turned on it's head by the third page.
The art draws on a subdued color palette that matches the tone of the story perfectly. The last page alone (story and art) make this book worth picking up. This book offers one of the best head-scratching, curiosity-inducing cliffhangers that I've seen in years.
9 out of 10
Summary: (Spoilers)
In 1962, the Miraculous Astonishman makes a single, dreadful mistake in a career of super-heroism spanning decades. Based on faulty information provided to him by Lexington, he sought to destroy a Communist nuclear facility on the ocean floor. In truth, the facility was home to a race of benevolent aliens. The chain reaction set of by the destruction of their ship lead to billions of deaths, catastrophic environmental changes, and the creation of thousands of super-powered beings. Astonishman labored hard to minimize the damage, all the while wondering why the only other being on Earth powerful enough to help him, Thor, did not show.
Years later, most of humanity lives under the oppression of the selfish and evil super beings created by the accident. Although many of those changed in the accident sought to use their powers for good, most of them had been wiped out by the evil doers. Now Astonishman leads a small band of remaining heroes, The End League, against Dead Lexington and his villainous henchmen. While Astonishman dwells on his guilt for the accident that caused these hellish conditions, Mother Hive, the only other person who knows of Astonishman's culpability, urges him to keep it to himself. No good can come of unburdening himself after all these years.
Astonishman leads a team on a raid against Lexington's overlords who are hoarding the world's food supplies. The heroes bicker among themselves, years of living together in hiding bring jealousy and tension to the surface under stress. Thing go very wrong when they are cornered by a lobotomized Thor, who blames the heroes for his pain and has the power to exact revenge.
Review: (Relatively spoiler-free)
Pastiche: [pa-steesh, pah-]–noun a literary, musical, or artistic piece consisting wholly or chiefly of motifs or techniques borrowed from one or more sources.
The End League is a pastiche of familiar comic book heroes in a new and decidedly dark setting. Years ago, Astonishman (Superman) inadvertently causes a global disaster by acting on information supplied by Dead Lexington (Lex Luthor). No he leads a team of the few remaining heroes against the forces of evil in a post-apocalyptic world of his own making.
In issue #1, Astonishman leads a team consisting of Divinity (Wonder Woman), Soldier American (Captain America), Prairie Ghost (Ghost Rider), and Blur (a lesbian version of the Flash) on a mission to retrieve much needed food from the villains' enormous storage complex. While instantly recognizable for the heroes they represent, these are darkened versions of our favorite characters, reflecting the world in which they live. Other familiar faces include Arachnakid (Spider-man), Mother Hive (A female Professor Xavier - physically confined but gifted with immense psychic power), Scarecrow Sinister (Scarecrow, if he was 1,000 times scarier), and Thor, who stands in for both Marvel's Thor and Hulk.
The one major character missing is Batman. But the letters page mentions a non-Magnificent (that is, a non-superpowered individual) named Black, so I am sure we'll be seeing the bat soon enough.
This comic is in the vein of The Dark Knight Returns and the Watchmen. Familiar heroes in a dystopian reality where none of the old rules apply. While Superman is never in any real jeopardy in his own comic, Astonishman may well not survive his encounter with Thor. The stakes are higher and the drama seems more real, as convention is turned on it's head by the third page.
The art draws on a subdued color palette that matches the tone of the story perfectly. The last page alone (story and art) make this book worth picking up. This book offers one of the best head-scratching, curiosity-inducing cliffhangers that I've seen in years.
9 out of 10
Summary: (Spoilers)
In 1962, the Miraculous Astonishman makes a single, dreadful mistake in a career of super-heroism spanning decades. Based on faulty information provided to him by Lexington, he sought to destroy a Communist nuclear facility on the ocean floor. In truth, the facility was home to a race of benevolent aliens. The chain reaction set of by the destruction of their ship lead to billions of deaths, catastrophic environmental changes, and the creation of thousands of super-powered beings. Astonishman labored hard to minimize the damage, all the while wondering why the only other being on Earth powerful enough to help him, Thor, did not show.
Years later, most of humanity lives under the oppression of the selfish and evil super beings created by the accident. Although many of those changed in the accident sought to use their powers for good, most of them had been wiped out by the evil doers. Now Astonishman leads a small band of remaining heroes, The End League, against Dead Lexington and his villainous henchmen. While Astonishman dwells on his guilt for the accident that caused these hellish conditions, Mother Hive, the only other person who knows of Astonishman's culpability, urges him to keep it to himself. No good can come of unburdening himself after all these years.
Astonishman leads a team on a raid against Lexington's overlords who are hoarding the world's food supplies. The heroes bicker among themselves, years of living together in hiding bring jealousy and tension to the surface under stress. Thing go very wrong when they are cornered by a lobotomized Thor, who blames the heroes for his pain and has the power to exact revenge.
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