Like Metallix, Future Comics's other offering, Freemind strikes me as a neat idea with somewhat weak execution. The notion of a crippled scientist finding full functionality in technology is one that co-creators Bob Layton and David Michelinie played around with their run on Iron Man, and Freemind shares a lot in common with the Iron Man concept in general, including a vast staff of corporate employees and a focus on technology and corporate espionage. What it doesn't share in common is an easy accessibility, as the issues are crowded with too many supporting players, and that combined with the retro writing style that so far defines Future Comics leaves me wanting a lot more from Freemind.
It's strange to have two complaints which contradict each other, but Freemind is paced both too slowly and too quickly. Michelinie and Layton spend three issues building up to the main character transforming into the super-powered individual that he's pictured as on the first issue and in the zero issue, but he doesn't use any of that time to establish the powers of the individual, leaving that all too vague. On the other hand, in these three issues Michelinie also introduces about eight supporting characters and two villains, most of them in the midst of action sequences, and the result is a confusing mess of characters who never quite coalesce. A quicker plot and slower introduction of characters would have made for a much more enjoyable first story arc.
The scripting also features the overly expository narration and speech that I used to expect from comics, but have a hard time swallowing now, and generally indistinct characterization thanks to dialogue that seems designed to serve the function of the plot rather than the characters. Some of the characters, such as Scirocco, seem to have two distinct personalities, one a generic smart-ass villain and one a subservient daughter figure, and while such a dichotomy is certainly possible, Michelinie's script takes it to artificial extremes.
Like the writing, the artwork is something of a throwback, but that actually means solid draftsmanship and classic designs, and while the work isn't as flashy as that of a lot of modern artists, it makes up for that with solid storytelling ability. I was surprised to find that my favorite artwork came from Bob McLeod being inked by Giordano rather than Giordano's pencils, but all of the artwork is clear, and since Michelinie's script relies on plenty of action, it's important that the action sequences are dynamic and easy to read.
In the end, I'm left thinking that Future Comics is something of an ironic misnomer for this company. The talent and the execution of their concepts so far would seem to indicate that Retro Comics would be a better name, as this reads very similar to the kind of thing that we would have seen from Marvel or Valiant Comics in the 90s. However, I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing, as the company is aiming for an audience that isn't served by the current comics of the big two. I just don't happen to be in that audience for the most part.
