Customer Reviews

DC: The New Frontier, Vol. 2

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Note: This review refers to DC: The New Frontier Volumes I and II.

If you are a DC fan-I mean a hard core, DC or bust fan-you will love, and I mean LOVE DC: The New Frontier Volumes I and II.

I remember seeing the first issue of this series when it came out in single-issue format and thinking that it seemed a bit remedial. Overly simplistic. I made this deduction based off of looking at the art alone, not by reading any of it. However, I later discovered this book had been receiving critical acclaim from many established publications such as the New York Times, so I had to give the trade paperbacks a shot. I'm glad I did.

You see, the art is supposed to look a bit unpretentious because the story is set during the Silver Age of comics. For you non-comic book people, that means it takes place basically in the late fifties, early sixties. The Silver Age was when old characters from the thirties and forties received major revamps, such as the Flash, the Atom, and Green Lantern. It also introduced new characters such Adam Strange. DC: The New Frontier takes this Silver Age era and delivers a story with modern day sensibilities. For instance, Superman and Wonder Woman are trying to clean up Korea while maintaining some sort of autonomy from the US Government for whom they work. The space program is in full swing with Hal Jordan desperately wanting to be a part of it so he can reach the stars. A horrifying Batman realizes he may need to lighten up a bit after a disheartening experience with a child. J'onn J'onzz is unexpectedly transported to Earth and must acclimate or perish. We get traditional appearances from Hour Man, Aquaman, and Green Arrow. We see the Challengers of the Unknown, the Sea Devils, the Suicide Squad, and other favorites from the sixties, as well as re-imagined characters like Steel.

You see, in the comics, originally, all these things were spread out over decades, but now, the author and illustrator, Darwyn Cooke, has blended them all together into one cohesive plot line that culminates with all the heroes joining forces in a very non-traditional manner against a foe that could destroy the world.

This collection honestly feels like if heroes were real, this is how they would act with each other and how our government would react to them. DC: The New Frontier is a captivating read and I urge you to give it a try immediately. It will quickly become one of your favorites.

~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant

This is the second volume of the DC: The New Frontier TPB and contains issues #4 - 6. It continues Darwyn Cooke's ambitious project to bring back a sense of wonder to DC superheroes and bridge together the DC Golden Age of Comics with the Silver Age and beyond into one comprehensive and cohesive continuity. The first volume covered the years 1945 to 1958, beginning with the final mission of the Losers, detailing the break-up of the JSA and Superman and Wonder Woman's secret roles in the Cold War, and culminating with the advent of the Silver Age heroes.

Volume 2 continues the superheroes' interactions with real life events and covers the gaps between 1958 and the formation of the Justice League in the '60s. Set in the background of an America rife with escalating racial tensions, post-McCarthy era paranoia, the Space Race with the Russians, and JFK's optimistic Camelot, the Flash, the Martian Manhunter, King Faraday, the Challengers of the Unknown and test pilot Hal Jordan (who, in this volume, finally becomes Green Lantern), among others, strive to find meaning and true purpose in their calling. In time, an overwhelmingly menacing force called the Centre threatens to wipe out humanity and forces these fractured individual heroes to come together to save the world.

I have to hand it to Darwyn Cooke. This really is a daunting task but he manages to do yeoman's work in 6 limited-series issues. He seamlessly integrates real life issues such as racial inequality, bigotry, and national distrust. A telling point is Cooke's portrayal of newcomer (to Earth) J'onn J'onnz, who rightfully harbors a fear of man's hostile reaction should his true nature surface. There are numerous protagonists involved and yet each hero gets fair representation in his own vignette. By the end, the reader gets a real good sense of each protagonist's personality, internal sensibility and personal story arc. Hal Jordan, in particular, seems to embody the bold, can-do spirit of America as was characterized in the immediate post-WW2 era. Yes, because of the large cast, the story at times feels scattershot as Cooke jumps from one hero to another. However, no worries, it all ties together nicely.

Darwyn Cooke uses his past experience as a storyboard artist for Batman Beyond to maximum effect in New Frontier. He deliberately channels the classic, deceptively simple, "more innocent" styles of Dick Sprang and Steve Ditko - with just a touch of Keith Giffen and animator Bruce Timm. His artwork here purposely invokes memories of a simpler, less ambiguous time for superheroes. Back in the '30s, '40s and '50s, Mystery Men (and Women) were clearly on the side of good and villains were clear cut ne'er-do-wells. No lines were blurred or crossed. Darwyn's old school renderings drives that point nostalgically home. Cooke artistically conveys the little moments, the seminal scenes, and the grandiose sequences, all rendered with easy, stylish conviction. Those big splash pages are truly BEAUTIFUL to behold. It must be mentioned that Dave Stewart's colors ideally complements Darwyn's illustrations.

Nowadays, a lot of people choose to look back at the '50s as America's true Golden Age, a time when we as a nation truly were righteous, and flourishing, and on top of the world. Cooke reminds us that there's a bit of revisionist history being played out here, that not every American actually took part and enjoyed the benefits of an era that was supposedly one of our best. Darwyn Cooke elevates the New Frontier to a somewhat "important" work.

For those who enjoyed DC: The New Frontier, Volumes 1 and 2, I recommend the Golden Age mini-series by James Robinson and Paul Smith, which also covers the timeline between the Golden and Silver Ages, though focusing more on the JSA. And always worth looking into is Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross's Marvels, a depiction of 35 years of Marvel superheroes as seen thru the eyes and camera lenses of a newspaper photographer. Ross's lush paintings alone are worth the price of the book.

DC: THE NEW FRONTIER, VOL. 2 has more action and adventure than VOL. 1. If you liked VOL. 1, then this will be slightly better.

VOL. 1 seemed to be all about moody foreshadowing, (the superheroes might return...the world before/without superheroes), but it was so moody and low on action that I thought that was the whole point of THE NEW FRONTIER, just to maintain the anticipation of The Silver Age of comics heroes, but not really to show it.

So I was surprised that VOL. 2 shows the precursor of The Silver Age of comics heroes. The first half of this VOL. 2 keeps up the moody anticipation, just like VOL. 1, but the second half (finally) turns into a typical, save-the-world, superhero free-for-all.

I like Darwyn Cooke, and I realize that this collection of THE NEW FRONTIER was his largest, most epic, most ambitious and far-reaching project yet. Yet, I think he does better with smaller stories and situations. I thought the moody atmosphere and non-superheroics would be sustained throughout THE NEW FRONTIER, so I was suprised with the last half of VOL. 2, when it got so large in scale, jumping almost too suddenly! Also, I think some of the artwork is not as refined and detailed as some of Darwyn's previous works. Maybe this is due to taking on such a huge project, and not having the time to fine tune the pencils as much, due to time and schedule constraints?

I think SELINA'S BIG SCORE is Darwyn Cooke's best trade paperback, and his redo of the Catwoman series, especially in CATWOMAN, VOL. 1, shows his most indelible mark on comics, in her coolest outfit ever! Darwyn Cooke's cute drawing style works a whole lot better when the situation is more localized, as in Catwoman, than when it tries to encompass too much, like an entire world conflict, as in THE NEW FRONTIER.

The second part of Darwyn Cooke's look at the DC universe in the 1960's. Not to be missed.

These are my first encounter with Mr Cooke's work. I found the artwork and the drawing style are very unique. I do not find this style of drawing in any other comic books I've read. I like the style, it is superb and it is a feast for my eyes to see this high quality drawing. The colorist also did a great work with the color selection and application on the drawing.
Reading this comic just like wathcing a movie as the drawing is so dynamic.
However I found the story telling sytle is not as enjoyable as the drawing. Mr Cooke's tells the story in fast pace and jumping here and there very quickly. I found it is hard to understand the whole story. This is the main flaw in my opinion.
I will still recommend these series for collection on the ground of the great and superb artwork. You won't find this kind of artwork easily.

Picking up where the first volume of "DC: THE NEW FRONTIER" left off -- notably, in 1959 -- Darwyn Cooke continues to spin his epic yarn surrounding the founding of the Justice League against the nostalgic and political backdrop of the late 1950's and early 1960's -- a period in America largely noted for ... well ... an awful lot of stuff that even today still troubles and confuses most people, certainly many Americans. Issues of racial equality, political indifference to broken governments, space exploration versus understand our own world better, etc., still find ample play time in most news outlets, though the warm-fuzzy ending to this tale might lead you to believe otherwise. (Again, as referenced in my review of Volume 1, I don't say that as a political statement; it's only a reflection of the facts as I see 'em.)

Thankfully, Volume 2 is a vast improvement in the narrative department over the quick, clipped scenes of Vol. 1. The heroes have, largely, come together, though the Justice League hasn't. They've found one another -- or, in the cases of the Green Lantern and the Martian Manhunter, two characters who get ample amount of page space in "Frontier" -- are well into their origin stories and are only facing one or two pivotal events to set them on their course to becoming two of the greatest heroes the planet has to offer. The menace -- a lurking alien presence known as 'the Centre' -- has come to light, and leave it to Big Bold Blue -- Superman himself -- to throw down the gauntlet, deliver a speech about ignoring those feelings and opinions that divide us in order to serve all of the greater good when it becomes necessary, and to set the chain of events in motion that'll, once and for all, bring these heroes together in a quest to save the planet and to save mankind from itself.

But what have we learned?

Cooke's cultural-theme "Frontier" eeks great mileage out of the racial harmony (or the lack of it, as most frequently appears here). John Henry Irons brief appearances explore the nature of racial inequity at its most pervasive, most vile, but, in the end, he's still a victim to a culture that's broke. The Martian Manhunter elevates the idea of racial inequity into an area best explored in comics -- the fact that he's the last Martian trying to find a way to fit into the xenophobic American experience; while mankind never quite reconciles its fears, John Jonzz rises to the occasion by proving himself the better man. But, in the end, it's the Green Lantern -- a character who spent the better part of Vol. 1 struggling with the conceit of racial discrimination -- who essentially commits genecide to rid Earth of the alien menace. Is that one great step for man, one giant leap for mankind? I think not ... or, at least, I don't think much of the solution. Also, and it is a minor point, but the island-sized existence of the Centre seemed lifted a bit too similar to the alien ships in the movie INDEPENDENCE DAY to seem an independent creation -- with living creatures serving as its attack craft -- and maudlin trip through the Centre's interior seemed a bit too reminescent of an H.R. Puff'n'stuff-like acid drug trip with splashes of retro colors and hues and shapes ... I guess that's why I never much cared for comics of the 1960's and early 70's.

In fact, I grew to love comics more and more with the advent of the grim 1980's. Frank Miller's take of the Batman was a welcome departure for what came before -- a dark, nihilistic, grim fairy tale where good guys don't necessarily finish last when the best you could hope for is that they finish with their life and limb -- has meant far more to me because (and this harkens to my review about the generational aspect running through both volumes of "Frontier" as well as my review of the first volume) it's part and parcel of the generation I'm part of. Cooke's a few years older than I am, and -- in the story's afterward -- he spells out briefly how the collective optimism of hope and unity and 'just being a kid at that time' influenced him to tell this story that clearly a lifetime in the making. The mid-to-late 1970's brought in far more disillusionment in the United States (the aftermath of Vietnam, the Nixon resignation, Jimmy Carter's panic-fueled gas crisis, etc.), and the stories that sprang from that consciousness just mean more to me and my generation, I guess.

That's not to say "Frontier" isn't a wild trip; it's just that -- outside of embracing the artwork, the foundation aspects for the Justice League, and the Martian Manhunter's origins -- it'll never mean much more to me than just another graphic novel. Not an epic ... just epic in its scope.

What can I say that I haven't already? Comic books just don't get much better than this. From a completely biased point of view, I wish Superman played a bigger role in all of this, but I completely agree with Cooke's focus on Hal Jordan. Jordan is in many ways a Silver Age transitionary figure. A daredevil pilot turned superhero practically begs to be identified with the 50s and 60s and the themes of space exploration, the science fiction of the period, and the hope and optimism mixed in with the lingering sense of domestic maladjustment fit perfectly into this story.

More philosophical and more epic than the first volume by far. Cooke seems to be able to walk that thin line between action-fest with things blowing up dramatically and deep inner monologues that push the story along and make you think. It's a difficult thing to do and he deserves every shred of credit for this accomplishment. His theme-building is also profoundly layered in the artwork, the dialogue, the structure of the story and the epigrams selected; all of it seems to cry out CHANGE in a way that is spiritual and uplifting and hopeful. (Throwing in Kennedy's New Frontier speech was a really, really nice touch. The tone was perfect and the speech is one of the best in American political history.)

A stirring conclusion that returns readers of my generation to the point where we all began and the faces we were familiar with growing up. I've seldom been this satisfied after reading a comic book. Feels like the caliber of Watchmen and the heart and hope of a Superman classic. Well done.

This review is for the entire story(both vol.1 and vol.2).

This story had me from page 1. It was the art. Cooke's art was so cool. It struck a nerve immediately. I'd never seen his work before. How could I not have known about this guy? His art kinda reminded me of Bruce Timm's. It had sort of a retro-50s/60s look to it. Very simplistic and cartoony pencils that were boldly inked and richly colored by the industry's Michael Jordan of colorists, Dave Stewart. Yeah, the art was the first thing to grab me and not let go. Then, as I read, I started to ask myself once again, "Why hadn't I heard of this Cooke guy?". Because his writing style was so full of life and truth. At the time I read this, I had been reading graphic novels for years and years. Had I been living under a rock or something? Cause it wasn't like this book had just come out when I read it. I didn't read it until just a couple of years ago! How could this have happened? Why hadn't I heard more about this wonderful writer/artist and his tribute to the Silver Age of Comics known as "DC: The New Frontier"?

As I continued to read through this work of genius, I became more enthralled with the characters. Many of whom I'd never even heard of, such as the Sea Devils and The Losers. I really dug a lot of these lesser-known(or at least to my generation) characters! The mainstays(Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, etc.) were there, too. But Cooke divided up the time each character spent on the page in a way that "shared the wealth", so to speak. If I had to say which character was featured the most, I guess I'd say Hal Jordan and his story was the most prominent. But that's just the thing. Everyone's story tied together to create this overall grand story that was the true essence of the book. This happened not just because Cooke wanted to tell many interlocking stories involving many different characters just for the fun of it. He had done his research, and he had written the stories that make up the larger story so that they coincided/overlapped with real life events that took place during that time of the 1950s/60s. He then linked those things with some more modern themes and sensibilities, and BANG! He had created one POWERFUL book!

There really isn't anything else I could say that hasn't already been said here by others. But I just wanted to voice a small part of my opinion. And that opinion is that this story is as much a classic/masterpiece/graphic novel medium-impacting book(s) as The Dark Knight Returns. And I think that's saying something. But those of you who have read this magical blend of fact and fiction already know this. I just wanted to say it for those who haven't.

Darwyn Cooke has such a way of transporting readers to the time period he is drawing. Its pretty amazing. Here, every page is almost perfectly crafted to the 50's. My problem with this portion of the overall storyline is that at times the "Center", which is the antagonist, is too vague. The danger is real enough but I'm not sure why. Also, and this might be the fault of the letterer, but the narration boxes all looked the same so it was, at times, difficult to figure out which hero was speaking. Overall, the book is gorgeous but the plot drug on too long.

Darwyn Cooke manages to create a relentlessly dark universe for these DC characters while retaining a relentlessly hopeful message.

I'm not an avid comic collector, but I do try to keep up with the ones that make a lot of peoples' "greats" list. This one deserves to be there. I've rarely seen a comic so well-crafted.

Maybe one of the greatest accomplishments of this book is it introduced me, a novice, to characters outside the big names I'd been familiar with and made me care about them deeply. The conclusion to Rick Flagg's story in this second book was particularly moving.

I also strongly recommend reading the afterword. It put a nice exclamation point on the themes from the story, and it gave an optimistic insight into how we consider growth and maturity when dealing with comics, ourselves, and our history.