The Terrifics #7 – Jeff Lemire, Writer; Dale Eaglesham, Artist; Michael Atiyeh, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Jeff Lemire hasn’t had the best luck with artists on this title, as Dale Eaglesham’s start on the series marks the fourth regular artist the title has had in seven issues. Fortunately, Eaglesham is perfectly suited to the new pulp atmosphere of the title as Lemire takes us into the world of Tom Strong. The Alan Moore-created strongman has been in the background of the title ever since the first issue, but now his world comes to the fore with an opening segment showing him go up against his arch-nemesis Paul Saveen. The issue nicely swerves us, with the first page showing us a retro battle of theirs only to reveal it’s taking place in a comic book while the real one goes on in the present day. Eaglesham’s art in this segment is excellent, perfectly capturing the retro-adventure vibe of the original series. But before long, Strong is returning to base after his latest victory – only to find his daughter missing, a desperate message from his wife, and a surprising betrayal from an ally.
The Terrifics don’t even appear until the second half of the issue, but they’ve been at base since last issue’s battle with the Element King – and Metamorpho’s sudden return to a human body. He’s still linked to the other three heroes by the dark energy they encountered, and tensions are starting to run high. Both Rex and Mr. Terrific are starting to suggest that Simon Stagg is behind a lot of the mysterious attacks they’ve faced at the countdown. Plastic Man helps to lighten the proceedings a bit, and his odd friendship with Phantom Girl is one of the book’s most likable parts. It’s not long before the next crisis emerges, in the form of a search for the source of Tom Strong’s mysterious message and an encounter with some mysterious trees that can neutralize their powers and even grab the intangible Phantom Girl. Next issue promises that the two universes of heroes will finally team up, and I’m excited to see where Lemire takes us on this multiversal tour. Combining a team of dynamic characters with an inventive tribute to the weirdness of the DCU, this book has yet to miss a beat.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
