The introduction of the new Freedom Fighters concept in Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Bludhaven didn't instill confidence in the strength of this followup limited series. However, the political elements and fascinating artwork by Daniel Acuna in DCU: Brave New World piqued my interest and led me to decide to give the first issue of this new limited series a shot. Palmiotti and Gray's script is quite accessible, and I enjoyed how the writers bring the ethical debate of national security versus personal liberties to life with super-heroes. After I read the inaugural issue, though, I was left scratching my head, wondering how this dark, martial and ideological take on super-heroes fits in with the more traditional approach to storytelling that's meant to dominate the DC Universe in the wake of Infinite Crisis.
The mysterious S.H.A.D.E. leader Father Time has assembled an elite team of super-hero soldiers to fight the wars on terror, drugs and moral values, and he's dubbed them the Freedom Fighters. The Ray, Phantom Lady, Doll Man, the Human Bomb, the Face and Bigfoot kill in the name of the safety of Americans, but most are unaware that Father Time has his own agenda he seeks to pursue, one that's far from virtuous. A man named Firebrand sends a message that government oppression by way of superhuman agents won't be tolerated, and the man who will put a stop to it is coming.
Acuna's artwork stands out as the book's best selling point. His efforts on Brave New World were good but dark and muddied a bit, but that problem doesn't come into play in this debut issue. His linework is a bit looser here, but it brings more personality to be book, and the characters' movements don't come off nearly as stiff as they do in other samples of his work. I love the new designs for the title characters, from the slight tweaks to the radical overhauls. The colors add a lot to the comic line art as well. I love the vibrancy of the yellows and whites used to bring the Ray's powers to life, and the Phantom Lady's party takes on a psychedelic '60s spin thanks to Montes's contribution to the visuals.
The writers provide some excellent introductions to some of the retooled Freedom Fighters. The narration takes us inside the Ray's and Doll Man's head, allowing us to get to know the characters pretty well in a short timeframe. Doll Man is an admirable yet pitiable figure, and of the new Freedom Fighters, he's perhaps the most traditional in terms of super-hero concept. Still, his military-minded attitude helps to set him apart. I like that the misguided heroes really aren't entirely likeable, even though we know they wouldn't stand for the corruption their boss has embraced. The Ray is a self-centred hedonist, and the Phantom Lady has an odd dichotomy of superficiality and post-traumatic stress disorder going on.
Other characters in the book are off-putting, though, and not in an entertaining, villainous way. Father Time is such an over-the-top antagonist, with such a ridiculous name, it's impossible to take him seriously. I like how Gray and Palmiotti have fashioned Senator Knight to be representative of both idealism and hypocrisy, but the character is so clueless as to his vulnerability that it's difficult to imagine he'd put himself in the position he does later in this issue. 6/10
