The Terrifics #13 – Jeff Lemire, Writer; Joe Bennett; Penciller; Dexter Vines, Inker; Mike Spicer, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 9/10
Corrina: Reunion Fun!
Ray: Jeff Lemire is getting ready to mic-drop on his final work-for-hire project next month, and all the pieces are in place for an epic showdown. The last issue saw The Terrifics get ready to gather once again, as Plastic Man and his son Luke bonded, Phantom Girl stole a ride back to Earth, and Metamorpho sacrificed his humanity (and Element Dog’s “dogmanity”?) to rejoin the fight. The reason? Mister Terrific, stranded in the Multiverse and hunted by Doctor Dread and a trio of twisted doppelgangers of his former teammates. Metalmorpho, Phantom Boy, and Plasma-Man seem to have him at their mercy, but salvation in The Terrifics #13 comes in the form of Paula, his late wife and the Terrific of this world. She’s every bit as capable as her alternate-reality husband and they’re able to get away and start jumping through the Multiverse to stay ahead of Java.
This lets Lemire and artist Joe Bennett show off their skills and visit countless worlds from the DC Multiverse ranging from Batman Beyond to Bizarro World.
The instant connection between Michael and Paula is brilliantly done. Two halves of a different whole, each carrying a tragedy that ripped their other half away from them. It’s certainly unconventional, but Tom Taylor also did this in Injustice – reuniting a Green Arrow and Black Canary from different worlds. It’s a trope I enjoy. The other Terrifics didn’t get as much attention this time, but it was great to see the whole group reunited – and the addition of Luke to his father’s squad set up some really fun dynamics. He and Metamorpho seem to enjoy dunking on Plas in unison, and I’m not sure how old Luke is supposed to be but he and Linnya seem to have an immediate crush. My one quibble remains just how quickly Rex decided to walk away from his old life (and Sapphire) with the thin explanation that he was bored. It rings slightly false, but overall this is one of the most fun books in DC’s stable. Lemire’s writing at DC will be missed.
Corrina: I want a Mr. & Mrs. Terrific book now. Post-haste. As much as I wanted a Strong family comic. And I want more of this comic.
Alas, I suspect I will get none of these things, but this issue was kinda glorious, with Paula refusing to be a victim, with Michael so impressed, and Michael just about ripped my heart out by confessing he’d never looked for Paula on alternate worlds because he was afraid she was dead on every one. Please, please, let these two crazy kids stay together on one of these worlds and go on adventures.
I quibbled last issue about how fast Rex went back to Metamorpho. Perhaps that would have taken longer to play out if Lemire wasn’t leaving, so I’ll leave that aside and note that it was good to see Rex having fun as Metamorpho–and I love the art for his continually shifting form. Bennet and Vines must have had a very detailed job with three characters who can morph their forms (Metamorpho, Plas, and Offspring), to saying nothing of the evil versions of the group, and all the alternate worlds.
Please, I just need a glimmer of a happy ending before this title goes dark.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
