The final issue of this unusual limited series may very well be the strongest, and what's odd about that is that it focuses not on the title character but the Newsboy Army of Manhattan. Morrison celebrates the innocence and absurdity of comics of yesteryear. He also explores how important it is to have such silly and fanciful ideas in one's life by presenting a corrupt vision of the innocent heroes' future. Furthermore, the focus on the origin and demise of the Newsboys provides a sense of climax and closure for this limited series even though it ends with a cliffhanger (leading into the Seven Soldiers #1 concluding bookend comic). Stewart's art is as sharp, well-realized and imaginative as ever, and he does an excellent job of paying tribute to the creative force that spawned this series: the late Jack Kirby.
The Guardian storms into his boss's office to quit his job as The Manhattan Guardian's in-house super-hero/reporter, but he discovers the editor is not the man he thought he was. Instead, he discovers the withered frame of Big Brain, a founding member of the Newsboy Army. He tells the Guardian of the demise of the original Newsboy Army, and why it's so important that Jake Jordon continues to act as a hero. A threat is coming, an army of creatures that will lay waste to the world as we know it, and a new group of defenders is needed to stop them.
I never really understood the appeal of Jack Kirby's work in the 1970s. The Fourth World, The Demon, Kamandi... the appeal always seemed to escape me. His convergence of ideas always seemed so random and over the top. A Nazi New God? A sleek, armored ally in a post-apocalyptic world inhabitied by thinking animals and haggard humans? A god whose homeland is at war with great evil who opts to work as a novelty act on Earth, alongside a midget and a crooked manager? I just didn't get it. Morrison has opened my eyes to the strength of such material. It's not about coherence or logic, about meticulous crafting of a plot or premise. It's about unrestrained imagination. Of course a group of kids running a newspaper and visiting an African city made up of giant top hats makes no sense. It's not meant to make sense. It's a celebration of child-like wonder and creativity. Morrison demonstrates ust how much power those ideas have by sapping them of their innocence later in the issue.
The Kirby influence really shows in Stewart's designs and artwork, but it's not overt. The artist's own style shines through clearly, and in several instances, his work reminds me a bit of the style of fellow Toronto-based artist Ty Templeton. I love how this vision of the Newsboy Army almost looks like the original Newsboy Legion of the Golden Age and 1970s, but it's just a little different, a little more surreal. Stewart serves the opening scene incredibly well, bringing the action and chaos of the African adventure to life.
As readers flock to comics stores to grab copies of The OMAC Project and other Infinite Crisis tee-up titles, it's a shame that the most inventive and intelligent super-hero crossover event -- Seven Soldiers -- isn't garnering nearly as much attention. Of course, Morrison's material is definitely more challenging, and it's definitely worth the effort. 10/10
