Though subsequent issues didn't knock my socks off like the first one, I remain thoroughly entertained by yet another successful super-hero/movie crossover from DC and Dark Horse Comics. Dixon captures both the wonder of super-heroes -- and Jack Kirby's Fourth World in particular -- and the unusual art match of Bogdanove and Nowlan brings the best of both artists to bear. This is a fun story, and offers a new take on Kirby's classic characters of the 1970s.
Orion awakens to find himself in a laboratory on New Genesis, where he's informed that one of the Aliens has been implanted in his chest... and that it's eventual birth will result in the heroic warrior's death. Orion is not content to simply stay put and await the inevitable, and he and Superman boom-tube their way to Apokalips to rid the universe of the Alien hive Darkseid is fostering on his dark world. Meanwhile, a contingent of New Genesis heroes endeavor to deal with the infestation beneath their homes.
Bogdanove's over-the-top style suits the larger-than-life Fourth World cast of characters. He really brings the power of Orion, Superman, Barda and her allies leap off of the page. And then there's Nowlan's inks. He brings a smooth polish to Bogdanove's rougher style, and he adds a dark atmosphere that suits the bug-like, bloodthirsty Aliens of big-screen fame. Stewart's muted colors add to that foreboding atmosphere as well.
I've never been a big fan of Jack Kirby's Fourth World, but I have to admit that the stark violence and ugly nature of the movie Aliens as the threat really helped to distract from the sillier side of the Kirby characters. Mind you, readers unfamiliar with Highfather, Darkseid and their followers might find themselves at a loss here. It's too bad Dixon didn't find some room for a bit more in the way of exposition.
I think the most powerful scene in the book was Barda and company's attempt to hunt the Aliens, only to find themselves in a reverse role. The storytellers manage to convey the overwhelming nature of the Aliens -- both in sheer number and power -- in a couple of quick, tense scenes. We also meet a new character -- I think Jigundus is new -- who manages to shine despite the brevity of the introduction.
