The third
Seven Soldiers of Victory collection continues writer Morrison's project of exhuming abandoned superheroes from the DC Comics archives. In it three new characters enter the mix: high-tech escape artist Mister Miracle; Bulleteer, who's covered by an indestructible, metallic skin that also imparts superhuman strength; and Frankenstein, apparently the legendary nineteenth-century monster. As with the four other, earlier--arrived soldiers--medieval warrior the Shining Knight, urban crime buster the Guardian, now-powerless magician Zatanna, and other-dimensional goth Klarion the Witch Boy--Morrison is parsimonious about the newcomers' backgrounds, but that just adds intrigue. Now, halfway into the series' run, the members of this team-that's-not-a-team remain unaware that they're separately battling the same foes, a race of demons that have pillaged Earth for centuries and their leader, the vile Melmoth. Each character's stories are illustrated by different artists, who range from competent for Bulleteer to stylish and compelling for Zatanna and Frankenstein.
Seven Soldiers lacks the audaciousness of Morrison's
Animal Man and
Doom Patrol but boasts verve and complexity that distinguish it from standard superhero fare.
Gordon FlaggCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved