Pay no attention to that Identity Crisis logo on the cover of this issue. This issue opens with a brief explanation of what happened to the original Firestorm and how his powers came to be in the possession of an angry, confused young man . There's a brief reference to events in ID Crisis (ones I haven't read of yet, I assume), but that's not the real point of this issue. Jolley continues to explore Jason Rusch's character and how he's really not emotionally equipped to deal with the life and power of a super-hero. The path he follows here seems more the kind of thing one expects to find in a villain. Jolley's script is a bit heavy-handed, yes, but I love his exploration of the flaws in Jason's character.
Jason Rusch dreams of the ultimate fate of the original Firestorm and how he got his powers, but he dismisses it as nothing but a dream. After yet another encounter with his abusive father, Jason is faced with another relationship that's putting pressure on him. His friend, Mick, is worried about him. The last he heard, Jason was going to work for a drug dealer, and now he's been incommunicado for ages. Jason tries to get Mick off of his back, but instead of explaining what's been going, he just shows him.
I thoroughly enjoyed Batista's work on Legion last year, and it's a pleasure to see him back in action again. His work is more conventional in tone as compared to former series penciller ChrisCross, but Batista captures the main character's youth quite well. Furthermore, his take on the new Firestorm is consistent with ChrisCross's, but his own style isn't lost in the process. The colors here are fantastic. I like the shade of brown used to set aside the flashback, and the yellows and oranges really make the title character's powers and energy jump off of the page.
The revelation of what happened to the original Firestorm is rather anti-climactic, and tying it all into Identity Crisis seems pointless. Jolley makes it clear, though, that we haven't seen the last of Ronnie Raymond. In fact, the other characters accept that Raymond is gone far too easily, given the context of a reality in which the impossible is routinely possible. But the idea of Raymond's eventual return makes me see this series in a new light. Instead of a story about a young man's rough road toward learning responsibility and character, perhaps Jolley has a more tragic quality in mind for the big picture.
Jason uses his new powers here in a way that most young men would... not a means to help others, but as a way to make his fantasies a reality. He indulges his desires, his curiosity and even his rage. Ultimately, it's a disturbing direction for someone with such power. Jason clearly abuses his power here, and it's something of a Spider-Man origin in reverse. Jason isn't learning that with great power comes great responsibility, and it's not a foregone conclusion that he will. That potential has me intrigued. 7/10
