Written by Alex Ross & Jim Krueger
Art by Alex Ross; Carlos Paul; Simon Bowland; & Debora Carita
Cover Art by Alex Ross
SUMMARY:
Released by Dynamite Entertainment in 2008, “Proof Through the Night” sees the invasion of Shangri-La. The present-day onslaught reminds a defiant Fighting Yank of a fiery wartime battle vs. the Japanese on Kokura. Among Fighting Yank’s allies that day was The Mighty Samson, who suffers permanent blindness from a massive mid-air bomb explosion. In the present-day Middle East, Samson and the Scarab compare notes. The mute Death-Defying Devil, in late night Paris, communicates with a law enforcement officer that he has helped quell a riot.
Hydro aids Flame quench a seaside amusement park’s raging fire. The patriotic V-Man encounters a partially amnesiac Masquerade in the Far East. She is evidently afflicted with a lethal airborne epidemic killing everyone in the immediate vicinity. An unidentified city’s citizens are fleeing in mass panic from their monstrous worst fears. At a nearby pub, Mr. Face admits to the bartender that his mask’s enhanced powers are out-of-control. Bombarded by Dynamic Man’s overwhelming forces, Shangri-La is engulfed in a wintry storm. A hero falls during the survivors’ desperate retreat.
Note: The inside front cover has a thumbnail of the variant incentive cover, which is “negative art” of the same cover below.
REVIEW:
Anchored by classy artwork, co-writers Alex Ross & Jim Krueger continue to re-energize obscure Golden Age characters (from the public domain) by putting fresh polish on them. This series impressively continues as a complete entertainment package, as its intriguing storyline is matched by glossy, top-caliber visuals. Perhaps this issue’s sole fault is rotating too many sub-plots (i.e. Death-Defying Devil’s scene is allotted a mere page; and Samson & Scarab get two pages), so some angles are gaining minimal traction.
Still, the gradual introductions of all these ‘long-lost’ heroes is ingeniously played. With its growing cast, Project Superpowers delivers again on its enormous potential – cover reveals clue in readers who’s coming next, but not the where’s and, most significantly, the why’s in the unfolding plot.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There’sa single-page “Dynamite Dispatches” news-and-notes column, which includes thumbnail cover images for Project Superpowers # 2 and # 4. The back cover is a cover reveal for Project Superpowers # 4. “Fighting Yank’s War Journal” assesses The Mighty Samson and Masquerade. A two-page gallery spread of character sketches consists of: Lash Lightning & Lightning Girl; American Crusader; Mr. Raven; American Eagle; Unknown Soldier; Skyman; Mr. Face; The Sword; Marvelo; The Flag; Captain Courageous; Green Lama; and the Super-American.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8½ Stars
