The Alpha Review
By Andrew Uys
I’ve heard that trade paperbacks — a run of comic issues collected into a graphic novel — are all the rage today. But which ones are worth your time? This column aims to put the spotlight on the spectacular trades — at least according to this writer. And just for fun, we will start with the letter “A,” and each subsequent review will follow with the next letter of the alphabet. While you might object to my taste or my opinion, I hope that this column will help save you time and money when you are next buying a trade paperback, as well as effort in alphabetizing.
D is for DC: The New Frontier
Written by Darwyn Cooke
Art by Darwyn Cooke
DC Comics, 2004
DC: The New Frontier is an outstanding read. Written and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke, it recounts the emergence of DC’s Silver Age heroes amongst the social struggles taking place in 1950s America. Originally published in a six-issue limited series the entire story is collected in two volumes, but for the purposes of this review I’ll be discussing them as one book. I promise, if you read the first trade you will certainly purchase the second.
Darwyn Cooke examines the “disappearance” of the Golden Age heroes who refuse to bow to governmental pressures and instead retire from public life. Those that remain are either de facto agents of the US (such as Superman and Wonder Woman) or instead are considered fugitives of the law (such as Batman). Interestingly enough this situation reminded me of what Marvel is trying to explore with Civil War and its follow-up stories (dubbed The Initiative). I feel I should point out, though, that this trade was written several years before Marvel’s plotline and is rooted in the reality of the 1950s. That, and DC: The New Frontier is much better written, with a greater splendor and emotional power. As the story moves through the fifties, it deals with the “arrival” of the Silver Age DC heroes — Flash, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter. Darwyn Cooke is quoted as saying he is not trying to “retcon” these heroes, but rather create an entirely new story while utilizing the in-continuity events as they were originally published. Adding to this sense of authenticity is Cooke’s style of illustration, which blends elements of Golden/Silver Age artists with a form that reminds me of a certain recent Batman animated series. It really adds to the power of the themes explored in the two trades, and I was scarcely able to put it down once I had started.
The 1950s saw the beginning of the Cold War, and the fight against Communism and any “related” social evils that could possibly corrupt the American public. In reality, this lead to a period of history known as McCarthyism, which saw attacks on the entertainment industry, comic books, and anyone who didn’t perfectly fit into society’s prescribed roles. Fears over atomic global annihilation and the threat of Communist world domination caused the American public to go along with their government and its restrictive measures. It also fueled support for overseas action that included the Korean War. Even before the fifties began though, superhero comics were in decline, and it would be nearly a decade (or more depending on who you ask) till the start of the Silver Age of comics. Darwyn Cooke weaves the emotions and fears of the 1950s into DC: The New Frontier expertly. The Golden Age heroes of World War II are given the choice to either retire or reveal their identities and register with the US government and those that don’t are as much fugitives as the criminals they fight against. The public’s fears over atomic obliteration are reflected in this trade by a wave of anti-hero sentiment as the ordinary citizen feels insignificant in the face of those that can fly or wield unexplainable magics. In turn, the government’s fear of Communist saboteurs and sympathizers collides with those that seek to conceal their identities and fight the forces of evil outside the boundaries of the law. As the story moves along, the reader is introduced to the characters that will become the next generation of heroes, and we share in their trials and tribulations as they embrace their heroic nature, often long before they actually don their masks and costumes. Lastly, the fear of the other is represented in both the alien hero Martian Manhunter and a greater alien threat that acts as the underpinning of the story. This collection reads as a symbolic exploration of the 1950s in America, with our comic icons signifying the struggle of the individual against society’s stereotypes; which would become a defining aspect of the next decade.
If this review reads more as a historical and social discussion rather than the exploration of the merits and flaws of the comic book, it is because DC: The New Frontier inspires this kind of thought and reflection from its reader. Cooke skillfully blends social commentary, exciting visuals, excellent dialogue (the slang and “period” language is a blast), and a fun plot that culminates in a massive battle for the fate of the US with all the heroes finally banding together. DC: The New Frontier has garnered many awards and the two trades have been released in one volume as part of the Absolute Hardcover line. It will also soon be released in an adapted form on DVD as the animated movie Justice League: The New Frontier with Darwyn working on it as a visual consultant. There is a follow up to the trades, scheduled to be in comic stores in March, titled Justice League: The New Frontier Special. You don’t need to be a fan of Golden or Silver Age comics to thoroughly enjoy this remarkable story, and when you pick up the first volume, save yourself a second trip, and buy the second one right away.
