Electric Warriors #1 - DC Comics

ELECTRIC WARRIORS #1, January 2019

Advertised by its Burbank-based publisher as “a new tale of the future DC Universe, set in a previously unexplored timeline – the Cosmic Dark Age”, this opening instalment to a six-issue limited series set during “Jack Kirby’s Great Disaster timeline” disappointingly lacks any real action whatsoever, and instead seemingly fills such a void with an endless procession of dialogue-heavy, gobbledegook-laden conversations about "the great compromise", electrogenesis, and the apparent benevolence of the planet’s Gil’dishpan governors. True, Steve Orlando’s script for “A Far Better Thing” undeniably starts off with plenty of punch, as two lion-headed patrons of a Beast Bar batter Ian Navarro within an inch of his life after the human foolishly enters the licensed premises clearly looking for trouble. But disheartening, the all-too brief scrap appears to have been penned simply to provide a fleeting hook for this comic’s perusing public, and subsequently the most pulse-pounding this book’s narrative gets is to depict a family argument over the dining room table between Oscar’s grey-haired mother and her oldest son.

Just as discouraging is the highly dislikeable personality behind the American author’s lead character. Always inexplicably angry, despite the Personhood Accords apparently being signed years ago, Navarro arguably simply smacks of your stereotypical sibling who rather than being pleased with his brother’s apparent success to be named Earth’s first human Electric Warrior, is actually infuriated with the decision and absolutely desperate to rid the declared ‘diplomatic gladiator’ of his Armageddon forestalling responsibilities. Indeed, despite the GLAAD Media Award-nominee’s attempt to depict the obnoxious youth as someone who deeply cares for his family member’s future by having him abducted the night before his initiation ceremony, this twenty-two page periodical instead debatably portrays Ian as an unbelievably arrogant individual who conceitedly imagines that his warped viewpoint of the world is right, and everyone else’s is utterly wrong; “Then, now -- it doesn’t matter, heroes either make people weaker… or die trying.”

Perhaps this comic’s most notable highlight can therefore only be found buried deep inside Travel Foreman’s proficiently pencilled panels. The artist’s competent line-art does an acceptable job of storyboarding Orlando’s “New worlds, new faces, and a new time to fight” vision. Yet, it’s his inclusion of such notable nods to “DC Comics” past, such as the inclusion of Joker-Fish as an edible solution to Mankind’s perpetual suffering, and Superman’s famous red cape being so ritualistically presented to Humanity’s sole Electric Warrior, which only truly captures the eye.

Writer: Steve Orlando, Artist: Travel Foreman, and Colorist: Hi-Fi