Written by Brian Augustyn.
Art by Sal Velluto; Ken Lopez; & Trish Mulvihill.
Cover Art by Sal Velluto.
SUMMARY:
Entitled “Ashes to Ashes,” DC Comics released this series premiere for February 1996. Emotionally drained from probing missing child cases for years, 28-year-old police investigator Alejandro Sanchez is nearly incinerated by a bomb hidden in his apartment. Ironically, Sanchez blames himself for failing to save his beloved sister from a tragic housefire sixteen years before. He briefly encounters his sister’s gentle spirit suggesting that he has crossed into the afterlife.
Months later, upon awakening from a coma, Sanchez finds out from his older brother (a priest) that billionaire philanthropist Noah Hightower has bankrolled his experimental bionics. Hightower later reveals a bizarre, demonic-like costume that he recruits a barely-walking Sanchez to eventually test-pilot as a new super-hero.
Additional months of physical finding a recuperating Sanchez eager to return to action someday. An ominous gang attack on his police partner, Leo, forces Sanchez to desperately accelerate his future plans.
Note: This short-lived 1996 series ran a total of nine issues.
REVIEW:
One might equate this character’s debut as Ghost Rider-Meets-The Six Million Dollar Man-Meets Knight Rider. Visually, the art squad’s contributions are consistently high-caliber – they supply an unexpected asset. Yet, reminiscent of a busted high-concept TV pilot, writer Brian Augustyn stumbles spelling out his Firebrand’s contrived origin too soon. For instance, Alejandro Sanchez’s bionics fail to mesh with the costume’s cool demonic look – it is a vital creative element which Augustyn fails to correlate to his plotting.
With broad hints implying Sanchez has supernatural links, the muddled storyline struggles to tie in this intriguing element in the space allotted. Had co-creators Augustyn & Sal Velluto tweaked their avenging hero concept to streamline Sanchez’s sci-fi origin into something more eerily magical (maybe Ghost Rider-Meets-Firestorm), they would have had better luck.
Still, finding Firebrand # 1 is a good idea, considering the artwork’s quality is worth the price of admission.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
None.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
