Written by Jim Krueger & Alex Ross
Art by Carlos Paul; Simon Bowland; Debora Carita; & Alex Ross
Cover Art by Alex Ross
SUMMARY:
Entitled “The Rumors of My Demise …,” it was published by Dynamite Entertainment in 2008. Accompanied by his Revolutionary War ancestor’s ghost and the enigmatic American Spirit, elderly Bruce Carter’s deep-freeze trek reaches Green Lama’s Shangri-La. Reuniting with the Lama, Carter (aka the Fighting Yank) goes to New York City to release his old comrades trapped inside Pandora’s Box for decades. Facing resistance from Dynamic Man, Carter and Lama realize the chilling agenda that their former ally has unleashed on Earth. Vastly outnumbered, their sole hope may lie with the urn’s first known escapee: the vengeful Black Terror, who wants the Yank dead.
Note: In addition to artist Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald’s alternate Black Terror cover, there are rare ‘negative art’ variants also out there for both covers.
REVIEW:
Bolstered by a welcome sense of unpredictability, this first issue displays immense potential. Without question, the caliber of its visuals is consistently top-tier. By ingeniously repackaging obscure Golden Age characters from the public domain, co-writers Jim Krueger and Alex Ross set up an epic storyline thematically exploring a dying Carter’s quest for redemption. Suffice to say, Project Superpowers # 1 is a startlingly good read, as Krueger & Ross reinvigorate some of the Golden Age’s long-lost legends.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The front inside cover reveals all four cover images (including the ‘negative art’ variants). The back cover is a full-fledged promo for the next issue. There’s a single-page “Dynamite Dispatches” news & notes column, which includes a briefing for Project Superpowers # 2. A full-page reveals the behind-the-scenes creation of the climatic panel depicting the Black Terror’s return.
The “Fighting Yank’s War Journal” offers his brief thoughts (and a glossy full-body image) on the Black Terror, as well as a two-page spread on the Yank’s opinion re: Dynamic Man’s Family. A second two-page spread offers Alex Ross & InLight Studio’s ‘Golden Age Character Sketches’ of: Hydro; Cat & Kitten; Fighting Yank; Silver Streak; the Owl; Strongman; Captain Future; Major Victory; the Woman in Red; Dynamic Man & Dynamic Boy; and the Target & His Targeteers. These extensive bonus features are a real treat.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 10 Stars
