This week marks the release of the second issue of DC's Infinite Crisis, which is serving as a delightful trip in time, back two decades, for those of us who enjoyed the publisher's Crisis on Infinite Earths event in 1985. Though their effort is far less hyped, Tony Bedard and Paul Pelletier offer a trip back to the mid-'80s as well, not just for the readers but for the title characters of Exiles. This new three-part storyline is not only set in Marvel's long-since-defunct New Universe, but back in the early days of the concept. It's a treat for those few New Universe such as myself that remain, and I like the idea of the Exiles visiting worlds devoid of the usual array of Marvel icons. However, I can't shake the feeling that the priority here isn't to tell a story but to simply immerse a select few in nostalgia.
Proteus, in possession of Mimic's body, has fled to Earth #15731, a world without heroes such as the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and the Avengers. There are superhumans, though, and Proteus is after one in particular: the man in possession of limitless power of the Star Brand. With Heather (Sasquatch) Hudson feeding them information, Blink, Morph and Sabretooth give chase into the unusual reality, only to run into seven displaced paranormals desperately trying to escape unlawful imprisonment. Meanwhile, a brutal vigilante senses Proteus's arrival and sets out to hunt him down to prevent him from cutting a murderous swath through his homeworld.
Pelletier's wide-eyed, energeti style is well suited to bringing the adventures of the Exiles to life. There's an inherent sense of fun and action in his work, and when it comes to a return to obscure super-hero comics of the 1980s, he's definitely in his element. I like how he slightly tweaks his style to remind New Universe fans of the art of the original line of titles. The DP7 scenes definitely reminded me of Paul Ryan's work with the characters.
Bedard provides a lot of exposition in this issue, and it's wonder, given how relatively unknown the New Universe characters. Still, the background is pretty thorough, and new readers will no doubt be able to follow along. The question is, will they care? There are a couple of quesitonable storytelling decisions to be found here. For example, DP7's appearance accomplishes little, serving only to include them in the story in a token way. Furthermore, offering some of the narration in Proteus's inner voice seems to be required, but it threatens to humanize him somewhat, and the reader is really called upon to view him as a monster.
I can't deny the fun this script offers a longtime comics reader such as myself, and I do like the new direction the title is taking. Setting Proteus up as a reality-hopping villain whom the heroes must chase is a solid premise, and I hope it last for a little while. I'm also pleased Beak is no longer a part of the team; I never really cared for his presence in this title. I viewed him as being as useless as he did. 6/10
