Customer Reviews

Omega: The Unknown Classic TPB

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I was watching the fourth season DVD box set of the Batman Animated Series a while ago (I'd write a glowing review for any of those sets if there weren't so many glowing reviews for them already) and I was especially struck by a line from one of the creator commentaries. On the "Critters" episode, which was written by veteran comic scribe Steve Gerber, show-runner Bruce Timm claimed that Gerber "doesn't really believe in heroes" and proceeded to not really elucidate on that statement. I couldn't really figure out what to make of Bruce's assertion. Is he saying that Gerber felt that the superhero genre was becoming crowded and trite, or did he believe in something more pessimistic like that no one could ever make great personal sacrifices for others for purely altruistic reasons? The Batman creative team offered no rebuttal or closure to that ostensible denunciation.

That's why I sought some closure myself by checking out the new full color, paperback collection of Gerber's enigmatic series, Omega the Unknown. As most Marvelites know, Gerber's canon also includes Howard the Duck and the Man-Thing, certainly not standard superheroic figures, as well as a run on the Defenders which distinguished itself from other teams by being relentlessly self-effacing and tongue-in-cheek (I don't think the Elf with a Gun would have shown up in even the most lighthearted Spider-Man tale). However, Omega is his most straight-forward, Silver Age-style comic creation, at least by all initial appearances, and so I picked it up as a test to divine exactly where Mr. Gerber stands on this "hero" business.

In the first six pages of the first issue, a caped limber figure that can spew streams of fire from his palms fights for his life on some war-scorched realm while a thoughtful twelve-year-old boy survives a horrific car crash and learns that his doting parents were robots. Welcome to the wild and wonderful world of Steve Gerber, friends! The story of Omega the Unknown is thus about the mysterious and tenuous relation between those two protagonists. The silent alien warrior known only as Omega has fled to Earth from his devastated planet and apparently decided to occupy himself with occasional vigilantism (after all, he already has the outfit for it). Meanwhile, the young James-Michael Starling, who sure looks a lot like a younger Omega, tries to adapt to foster life in New York City. It's no easy order for a kid who is so socially naive, coldly analytical and emotionless that he would make Reed Richards blush. The duo's lives are buoyed along by a colorful supporting cast including Omega's curmudgeonly old caretaker "Gramps", James-Michael's fussy worrywart nurse Ruth, and Ruth's roommate Amber, a free-spirited redhead who's a freelance photographer for the Daily Bugle (I know, she's like Mary Jane Watson with Peter Parker's resume). The list of villains is a little less inventive with a large quantity of guest stars like Electro, the Foolkiller, Nitro the Exploding Man/Civil War-instigator, and that one strong guy who knocked around Captain America that one time, you know the one. The only original foes are the totally unbelievable Hispanic shaman, El Gato, and the eerily believable handyman/unhinged killer, the Wrench.

In any case, the series is remembered less for its characters as it is for its greatly philosophical, existentialist message. Gerber clearly uses the nebulous, uncertain link between Omega and JM as a metaphor for the difficulty that ordinary people can experience when searching their souls and trying to define themselves. While I often appreciated the gravity and intelligence of the script (it was certainly more fluid and enjoyable than the excessive navel-gazing in the Essential Killraven), I still felt that it was a little ill-fitting at times in an otherwise typical superhero book. For example, in the scene where Omega actually thinks he has conclusively prevailed in equal combat over the Hulk, there's this passage: "The peril has not yet been put to rest. Congratulations evaporate in panic ... the mind reorders itself ... accepts the necessity of dying, if need be, to obviate further threat to the boy...! Singularity of focus ... detrimental on a world with so diverse a catalogue of hazards...!" Yes, pretty much the entire book is written like that, a long string of ten-dollar words and weird syntax and ellipses. Actually, two of the later issues are not written by Gerber, and they have lines like: "Each time he uses the power, it seems to come more easily. What is this world doing to him?" It's quite a difference. But Gerber's issues aren't all heavy and grim; there are still a few avenues for his patented sense of humor. When some irate burglars inform Omega that "you `n your underwear should'a stayed home" and when I first read the opening caption that described the title character as being "garbed utterly inappropriately in garish blue-and-red", I'll admit I chuckled.

Still, the overly dense prose just wasn't what the `70's comic-buying public was looking for and the series came to an end at a mere ten issues. Omega's final bow took place in fellow Gerber vehicle the Defenders, although it was penned not by the auteur himself but by someone named Steven Grant (of whom I know nothing about and am only assuming that it's coincidental that he shares his name with one of Moon Knight's aliases). Many readers have already expressed their disgust with Mr. Grant's conclusion over the intervening years. I'd rather not reveal anything about it except to say I thought it was a serviceable ending that tied up all of the loose ends I could recognize. It probably was not what Gerber would have preferred, but I've seen many worse comic cancellations (*cough* Dr. Strange *cough*).

And so I come back to my earlier question: Does Omega the Unknown prove that Steve Gerber doesn't believe in heroes? He clearly has some fun flaunting conventions of the genre in this series, and ol' silent Sam seems to fight crime out of ennui and warrior instinct instead of for truth or justice. Or perhaps the author's disbelief in heroism came because this labor of love of his failed? Maybe it's a chicken-or-the-egg sort of question, or maybe it doesn't really matter. The bottom line is that one of Marvel's most unique series ever is available in verbatim, in color, and on high quality, low gloss paper for a fair price. It's intelligent, it's memorable, but it might not be the perfect read for everybody. In the meantime, I'll just keep on reading Marvel comics and watching DC animated shows on DVD. If in the future Bruce Timm says something like Jim Steranko doesn't believe in the color yellow, you'll be the first ones to know.

This is one of those rare comic books that actually exceeded my expectations.
Omega the Unknown was created a few decades ago. Many older works are fun it terms of nostalgia, art style, and a more light-hearted tone compared to today's straight-laced grim and gritty works. However, today's explosion of art styles, creative freedom, and high-quality production make many older works seem obsolete.
Omega the Unknown seems cutting-edge when read today. It must have really blown some circuits when it first came out.
The strength is certainly the writing. It proceeds at a natural pace but never bores the reader. Its sense of mystery keeps the reader intrigued throughout yet never frustrates or loses a reader. The characters are likable and believable. The wording has clearly been carefully-chosen and will force its audience to do some work. Yes, a lot of people will have to get up and find their dictionary, and everyone will have to pause for a few moments and think about the storyline in order to get all they can from this work. Perhaps the reason this comic failed was because the people who originally were buying it only wanted to see some spandex-wearing chumps beat up on each other.
Speaking of spandex fight scenes, Steven Grant tries to wrap this up in a two issue arc of The Defenders. I'm not a fan of Grant's work; I thought the two included issues of the Defenders were painful compared to the ten issues of Omega, and the conclusion is far from satisfying. However, Omega the Unknown needed closure, and I have to give the man respect for taking a shot at a very difficult task. It could have been done much worse, and I was glad it was included in this collection.
Regarding the artwork, I have read it being descibed as "pedestrian". That is far too harsh a criticism. The artwork in this book is nearly always polished and professional. I don't think Jim Mooney's name is brought up very often in debates regarding the greatest comic artists ever, but I do think he should feel proud of his contribution to this work.
This comic is an early attempt to bring in new elements to the comic book landscape. It examines the human condition, brings in elements of surrealism, and doesn't bore or insult a reader's intelligence. Putting all that in a superhero book is no small accomplishment!

I remember Omega the Unknown from my childhood - one of the many characters that rode the "Marvel Wave" of the '70s. I recalled little about the series: Omega was a mysterious alien who shot energy from his hands, he was created by Steve Gerber (of Howard the Duck and Man-Thing fame), and the series was canceled, incomplete, after only 10 issues. One more thing - a rushed ending was provided by writer Steven Grant 2 years later in The Defenders #76-77. Both Gerber and the readers gave Marvel a lot of grief. At the time, I couldn't really say if it was warranted, for while I had read a few random issues of Omega the Unknown, the X-Men and Avengers were more exciting, so I didn't worry myself too much with the fate of Gerber's creation.

Anyway, when the OMEGA THE UNKNOWN CLASSIC trade paperback was announced, I immediately reserved a copy at my local comic shop in order to experience the full story with a more mature perspective. Thirty bucks seemed a high price for a character that is not really taken seriously, if even remembered, by most comic fans, but as a new series from Jonathan Lethem was on the way, I figured it'd be a good way to get in early.

I came away with 2 observations:

1. Omega the Unknown is rightly considered a cult classic. For the time this series was published, it contained a unique style of writing, and after two reads, I still can't quite determine how to describe it accurately. It was certainly like no other comic at the time. Omega serves as a supporting character in the story of a strange boy, James-Michael Starling. A connection exists between the two, but the reader always seems to be one step away from the truth. Gerber's narrative is very engaging, considering that he was stringing the reader along for so long, and that leads to my second observation...

2. It's no surprise this comic was canceled after 10 issues. Reading this storyline all at once is not too bad, but if I would have had to read this with a month between issues, I would have given up like many readers at the time. While Gerber does a great job of teasing the reader with what may be to come, he ultimately idles through his time as writer. Some may say that Grant's work was a random and unworthy conclusion to the story, but seriously, when 10 issues go by and the story is going nowhere, I don't blame Marvel one bit for doing what they did. I really do respect Steve Gerber as a writer, but his Omega the Unknown was so full of navel-gazing and obtuse philosophy that it took both the audience and the publisher for granted.

In the end, this trade paperback was somewhat worth the purchase, but I say that from a historical perspective more than anything. Story-wise, there's not much here.

For the most part, I enjoyed what Steve Gerber was trying to do with Omega The Unknown. I enjoyed the story's "Oddness" but I can understand how this series would have had comic readers a little puzzled, even in the 70s. But there is some pretty remarkable stuff in here, both for it's time and even today. The strange connection between Omega and the boy James drew me in and I wanted to see how it played out.

It takes place in Hells Kitchen and Gerber's portrayal of it is pretty grim, even compared to the Hells Kitchen stuff in Millers Daredevil. The odd boy "James-Michael" going to school after being "home schooled" for so long and trying to navigate the social hierarchy and the physical hazards of a rather dangerous public school is still timeless. James friend is beaten by bullies so bad he winds up in the hospital in a coma. Then, when he finally gets out, he's beaten again which aggravates internal injuries from the previous beating and he dies! I can see now why Gerber had some clashes with the comics code folks. We also see James smacked across the face by one of his Teachers.

James parents die in a car crash but his parents turn out to be androids, giving him cryptic advice before they self destruct and dissolve. Then there is the super powered Omega, whose character has taken a warriors vow of silence so we only see into his thoughts through the narration (somewhat similar to the narrative in Gerbers Man-Thing) which I found pretty entertaining. But over the course of the 10 issues, Omega does speak. His first "word" is to a woman he saves from a suicide attempt. It's such a foreign concept to Omega how someone can be in such pain that they take their own life. He simply says "Why?" (and that isn't until issue 4).

Even the villains are far from the garden variety (for their time at least). When one villain fights Omega to a stand still, then tells Omega "why" he's stealing money from a bank, Omega sympathizes and lets him go. The villain then carries on with his robbery. Omega is then soundly and loudly criticized by the victims of the robbery. Several issues later, he confronts the villain again, only this time Omega is intent on defeating him solely for the reward money. This was a nice twist by Gerber I thought, as Omega, who so far hasn't cared anything about personal gain or wealth is suddenly and mysteriously intent on getting some cash. It turns out he wants to buy a suit to wear to the funeral of the boy who was beaten to death by bullies. There is also a villain called The Wrench, a handy man who bludgeons victims to death with a pipe wrench. Turns out he has gone insane due to the death of his mother, killed by muggers. There is also an interesting turn by another Gerber creation...the Foolkiller.

The series is peppered with a few "name brand" characters as well, a clear attempt to gain readers to a very odd series that had trouble finding an audience. We get Electro and the Hulk as well as a cameo by Peter Parker. Then there are James' guardians. Two women, one a shy, neurotic nurse and her roommate, a sexy, cynical, streetwise photographer who takes a shine to James and vice versa.

I can understand some of the criticisms about the series having an aimless feel to it as well as why some people say it worked better for them as a trade than as a ongoing series. I think the reason for this is that Gerber is going for more of a "slice of life" vibe. Also problematic is a story arc big enough that we don't have time to get to the next phase before the series is canceled. It's more about Omega and James interaction with life and people than about a more traditional superhero story arc with a standard protagonist. The villains that are there are there mainly to give Omega and James some cathartic introspection.

However, in issues 9 and 10, it's obvious that Gerber is about to do something major with the series. He's gearing up to steer the story to another level. Unfortunately, Gerber leaves after issue 10 so we never find out what his intentions are with the story and characters.
The fate of Omega is then wrapped up in Defenders by writer Steven Grant. These issues are really bad. Both in how the fate of Omega is ham handedly delivered through the exposition of various superheroes like Moondragon and Hellcat, as well as the horrible art. I'm not a huge fan of Jim Mooney, but he does a decent job for the most part in Omega 1-10. But in the two issues of Defenders, Herb Trimpe takes over. I've enjoyed a lot of Trimpes work on Hulk. I don't know if he was rushed, or what, but it's really unattractive.

Also, Grant tries to tell a story to wrap up Omega that is just too big to fit into an issue and a half of Defenders. It's not that Grants wrap up story to Omega was all that bad. It's more traditional than what Gerber might have done, certainly. Grants wrap up is a decent idea, but it needed another 4 or 5 issues at least in order for it to be remotely comprehensible. I now know why this trade includes the Omega origin segment from "Handbook to the Marvel Universe" in the back of the book. It needed the nine paragraphs of text to explain the origin. Just going by the Defenders story, it's almost indecipherable.

This was obviously a project that was personal to Gerber and I like when the writer makes that clear to the reader. I like stories where you know the writer has a definite emotional investment. I think if he had had another year or so it might have been something really great. But with only 10 issues and no hint of where the plot is headed with the exception of a few little peeks in issues 9 and 10, I can see how this flamed out pretty quick with readers.

I think it works as an experiment, an oddity, a labor of love by Gerber and as something that was just not like anything else out back then. Gerber delivers some interesting dialogue and a still rather unique narrative. But with no clue as to the ultimate direction, reading Omega can be frustrating at times. On top of that you have the disappointment of a rushed and poorly crafted finale. It can be a challenging read and at times a frustrating one. In spite of these problems, Omega The Unknown drew me in and I wanted to see what happened with these characters.

I had not heard of this book until I finished reading the Howard the Duck Omnibus. I loved that book so much that I looked into other Gerber books. And found this gem. Though not as good as Howard the Duck, Omega the Unknown is fine example of what made Steve Gerber's works truely shine, characters. The characters in this book seem more down to earth and real than most comics of the time. The book is a great read and pretty affordable. If you like a book with a few surprise twists and good solid characters this is the book for you.

Having read almost all of Steve Gerber's work for Marvel, DC, and the short-lived Malibu (during the early 90's comic boom), I can safely say that although Omega the Unknown was abruptly cancelled with no solid or worthy ending (written by Steven Grant rather than Steve Gerber), it is one of the best pieces of comic literature I've experienced. Steve Gerber put himself on the comics map with his awesome story-telling and character insight in titles like Man-Thing and The Defenders, and reached the height of his comics mastery when he created and wrote Omega the Unknown. Being a comic fan since the 80s, I'd put this story (along with Steve Gerber's 10-issue Foolkiller miniseries) at the top of my list along with titles like Watchmen, the Dark Knight Returns, Miracleman, Kraven's Last Hunt, Squadron Supreme, and the first hundred issues or so of Captain America by Mark Gruenwald (before CapWolf). I won't tell about the story, but if you appreciate deep, thought-provoking comics that are not only action-packed but also deal with real world issues and portray people with extraordinary powers conflicted by their petty desires, this is a story you'll surely appreciate and remember. It also has an appearance by the 2nd Foolkiller, and any appearances of the 3 classic foolkillers (before Marvel Max's mediocre-as-always miniseries with a hip new Foolkiller who doesn't even use a raygun to incinerate the fools). Comics nowadays are lame, do yourself a favor and read this to see what comics are capable of.

Omega is best described as a curiousity from the past. I certainly recall looking at the covers in the 70s, and wondering what the book was about. Thanks to Marvel's reprints, I have now managed to peek at at this dimly illuminated hero from the past, and it was worth the look.

Marvel has to be given credit for trying a concept that in some ways reflected the growing cynicism of superheroes at the time (one may recall Captain America becoming the Nomad in his own book); and on the other - a concept that deviated from the standard superhero archetype. As pointed out by those here, Omega the Unknown is in fact an anti-hero. He's not sure he wants to be a hero, and reminds one of the Hulk, another misunderstood creature. The main difference here is the Shazam-like link between the mysterious Omega and the precocious boy John-Michael. The feel here recalls the then sci-fi close encounters us-vs-them trend of popular culture. Another reviewer says the tale is existentialist in feel. I'd agree wholeheartedly with that. You feel like you're reading a book about life trying to figure itself out. Not a good guy vs. bad guy tale. Omega the Unknown is really about finding and understanding one's identity - but with a sci-fi twist.

So what makes Omega worth looking at? Well, the ideas were there. The characters were interesting if not scattered. Balancing two storylines took some effort. While this collection is readable, it never takes off or hits its full stride. Omega encounters an assortment of unimpressive villains and his powers aren't exactly clear. On the other hand, James Michael, the 14 year old boy and his adult guardian Amber, provide us with a lot more intrigue. Put together, these two storylines appear to be headed somewhere, and unfortunately, the book got cancelled.

Had Omega been able to appear in today's comic day landscape, he might have fared better. Back then, he was an Enigma. Unfortunately, the promising storyline (where little happens) is poorly and anti-climatically resolved. Still, Gerber and team must be given credit for attempting something different back then.

I heard this series is actually quite good, but I'll wait until a more affordable version comes out(an Essential version ?)
This 'softcover' book is about 50 dollars Canadian if you buy it at a shop. Frankly, with only 12 issues collected here that's a bit much. Where does Marvel come up with these prices?
Unless your a hardcore fan (or very rich) I can't really recommend this book.