Written by Dan Jolley
Art by Jamal Igle; Rob Stull; Chris Sotomayor; & Phil Balsman
Cover Art by Matt Haley
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for February 2005, the issue is entitled “Heroes.” In Detroit, after a brief flashback to Rusch family bliss a decade before, the constant present-day friction between father and son has teenager Jason Rusch being told to move out. Stunned that the Justice League knows where to find him, Jason meets ex-Firehawk Lorraine Reilly, who is seeking answers for Ronnie Raymond’s grieving father.
Despondently, Jason recruits a downtown vagrant that night to join him as Firestorm. In a Good Samaritan gesture, Firestorm attempts to help a suicidal cancer victim calling herself ‘Laura.’ Trailing the naïve Firestorm, Lorraine intervenes too late upon realizing in horror who this woman really is.
REVIEW:
While the artwork (consistent thus far with this series) is well above-average, the only detriment is writer Dan Jolley’s too-realistic interpretation of Jason Rusch. While it’s easy to imagine a likable Jason resembling a younger Michael B. Jordan, Jolley doesn’t do enough to actually endear Jason’s world to readers. Sympathizing with his character re: an abusive and neglectful father makes sense, as it provides this Firestorm reboot an original foundation to build off from. Yet, imparting Jason with some good judgment and tidbits of humor would boost the storytelling. Case in point: having Jason unwisely choose an unknown vagrant/drug abuser to merge as Firestorm, with seemingly little or no consequence, impacts this story’s plausibility — not to mention Jason’s apparent lack of maturity.
Ironically, what makes this Firestorm reboot fun is re-introducing the best players from Ronnie Raymond & Professor Stein’s supporting cast (as they’ve matured since the original series). For instance, Jason’s awkward first encounter with Lorraine “Firehawk” Reilly is sold well, as it’s a nice opener to help set up their eventual merger as Firestorm later in the series. The same praise applies to bringing back a 80’s villainess from Lorraine & Ronnie’s past, though Jolley fails to explain how Lorraine intuitively senses her old foe’s presence.
The bottom line is that the promising Firestorm # 8 doesn’t suffer from visual problems – it’s only some minor tweaking of Jason Rusch that holds back a promising sequel to DC’s original Firestorm. If done right, Jason’s Firestorm would equal Wally West’s Flash as a viable next-generation DC icon.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The “DC in Demand” column includes thumbnail cover reveals for Seven Soldiers # 0; Deadshot # 1; Superman/Batman # 15; Detective Comics # 801; Superman/Batman # 15; and Firestorm # 9.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7½ Stars
