The first issue of the new Firestorm series failed to really hook me, and given that I was only borderline interested in the character in the first place and had plenty of other stuff to read, I never really went back. Just recently, however, Stuart Moore has taken over as writer, and having read the first three issues of his run, I have to say, I'm considerably more interested. I'm still not entirely certain I'll follow the book, as it looks like it's about to be drawn into the Infinite Crisis rigamarole just like almost every other DC book, but in these three issues, Moore does a pretty good job of reshaping the status quo, adding some interesting new supporting cast and making the hero of the piece considerably more sympathetic and interesting.
I'll still go on record as saying that the best way to relaunch a beloved second- or third-tier character is probably not to replace him with someone completely different. Jolley started the process of making Jason Rusch more palatable to old school Firestorm fans (the most likely target audience of a new Firestorm book) by bringing Ronnie Raymond in, and Moore doesn't miss the chance to namecheck Raymond in these stories, so that Rusch seems more like the recipient of a passed torch instead of a pretender compared to the real hero. In addition, while Jolley admittedly had a rougher time in creating a hero out of a kid who didn't really seem up to the role, Moore comes in when Jason Rusch has a bit more experience under his belt and comes across more as a rookie hero than just a chump who doesn't know what he's doing. At this point, Rusch is more like early Peter Parker than early Kyle Rayner, and for this fan at least, that's a more interesting character.
The new direction on a book that isn't necessarily doing all that well and didn't long really strong is a tough assignment for any writer, but Moore makes the best of it. He doesn't dump all the backstory, but nor does he make it all necessary, and as someone who hasn't read Firestorm since issue one, I found it very easy to get into the book at issue fourteen. It's clear that Moore is reshuffling the status quo, setting up Jason in a new job and a new residence, but it's not clumsily done, and feels more like a natural transition than a writer coming on and wanting to put his own definitive stamp on the material right away. In other words, it's a pretty good balance for those who were enjoying the title and for the larger audience that hadn't previously been paying attention.
In a lot of ways, though, these three issues are like the first three of a new series. Moore introduces two new supporting characters who play a sort of mentor role in Jason's life, a doctor at work who reminds him of his mother and a former doctor who lives down the hall. The neighbor is a little over-the-top in some ways, speaking in science terms instead of normal human terms (really, asking for a cup of "oligo-saccharide" is just goofy), but she's a likable mentor figure for Jason, a nice counterpart to his struggling but working class dad, who can't offer much that Jason doesn't have on his own. I was less impressed with the villain, with the unfortunate name of "The Pionic Man," a cheesy reference to his pseudo-science origins, but have to give kudos to Moore for going a little old school in providing a quick science lesson along with the superhero action.
Jamal Igle had come aboard this book prior to Moore, and it's clear that he's settled into the book nicely. I've been impressed with Igle's work since I first saw it on Blackjack, and I really like the groove he's settled into here with inkers Stull and Champagne and colorists Sotomayor and Mounts. Sotomayor does some especially nice work on the power effects in the opening of issue #14, Mounts impresses with the battle between Firestorm and the Pionic Man, and both are great on the shiny interiors of S.T.A.R. Labs Detroit. I'm not sure if the design of that S.T.A.R. Labs as part of a mini-mall is down to Igle, Moore, Jolley or a combination, but it's a brilliant, funny little visual bit that plays out perfectly. Igle is also particularly good with the normal people stuff, especially in making Jason look like a slightly awkward, just-turned-eighteen skinny kid, rather than a fully-formed short adult.
In short, I got much the same vibe off of Firestorm #14-16 that I did from Marvel's Gravity #1-3. It's the adventures of a young superhero, new to the game, with sharp moment-to-moment writing and strong artwork. The largest difference, and unfortunately it's almost a deal-killer for me, is that Gravity is isolated from the crossover madness of its publisher, and it looks like Firestorm is going to be dragged completely into it, based on one crossover that's already happened and a look at upcoming solicitations. However, I'll at least be giving the book a look, because there's a good foundation here for solid young superhero stories with a slight scientific bent. Worth a look for fans of Spider-Man especially, whether it's old school Lee/Ditko or modern-day Bendis/Bagley.
