DC COMICS – @DCComics
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
STORY: James Tynion IV
PENCILS: Jim Lee and Ryan Benjamin
INKS: Scott Williams and Richard Friend
COLORS: Jeremiah Skipper and Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Carolos M. Mangual
COVER: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (June 2018)
Rated “T” for Teen
The Immortal Men created by James Tynion IV and Jim Lee
“The End of Forever” Part 1
DC Comics has launched a new superhero comics initiative, “The New Age of DC Heroes,” coming out of its Dark Nights: Metal event miniseries. This line of comic books will consist of eight new comic book series: The Curse of Brimstone, Damage, New Challengers, Sideways, The Silencer, The Terrifics, The Unexpected, and the subject of this review, The Immortal Men.
The Immortal Men is created by James Tynion IV and Jim Lee. The series is written by Tynion; drawn by Lee and Ryan Benjamin (pencils) and Scott Williams and Richard Friend (inks); colored by Jeremiah Skipper and Alex Sinclair; and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual. The series focuses on a young man who is an emerging metahuman and who may also be the last hope for the survival of a group of immortal heroes.
The Immortal Men #1 introduces Ghost Fist, Reload, Stray, and Timber. They are the last of the “Immortal Men,” protecting humanity from the shadows since the dawn of time. The Infinite Woman, The Hunt, and the “Bloodless,” are in the process of destroying everything about the Immortal Men. Their most important target just may be the Immortal Men's savior, Caden Park, a young man plagued by visions of another world.
The problem with DC Comics' “The New Age of Heroes,” is that while some of the writers and artists involved in this new line are some of the most popular comic book creators, they are not necessarily the most imaginative and inventive. Sorry, dear readers, to inform you of this. I love Jim Lee's art, but he has built a career out of drawing some of the most popular comic book characters ever created: X-Men and The Punisher for Marvel and Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Justice League, etc. for DC Comics – all created by other people. When Lee created his own “universe” of comic book creations, the result, the “Wildstorm Universe,” was mixed, with characters that are not iconic or legendary... or particularly popular, for that matter.
The grade of “B-” that I am giving The Immortal Men #1 is generous because I am a fan of both Lee and this series co-artist, Ryan Benjamin. However, this concept is mediocre material that is a rehash of other people's work, ideas, and concepts – Warren Ellis and John Cassaday's Planetary and Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, for example.
Yet, I am intrigued by The Immortal Men. I hope that James Tynion IV can deliver a better script than what is in this issue; he is certainly capable of it, as I have enjoyed quite a bit of his writing. The problem is that in a distressed market, as the comic book Direct Market currently is, star creators put their names on comic book product that they would not accept for publication from unknown or new comic book creators – such as The Immortal Men.
5.5 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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