DC Mech #2 – Kenny Porter, Writer; Baldemar Rivas, Artist; Mike Spicer, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: The first issue of this miniseries set up a fascinating world—one where the end of World War II saw the invasion of Darkseid’s forces, killing most of the JSA at their victory parade. Since then, the age of Superheroes has become the age of Mechs, as every iconic hero uses a giant robot to defend the world from alien threats. Does it make much sense? Not really. Is it a lot of fun? Absolutely, and the end of the first issue showed us one big change—all aliens are generally seen as hostile entities, including Superman when he arrives on Earth as an adult after spending his life training with Kelex in space. We get our first looks at some other heroes, like John Stewart and Hal Jordan who pilot their mech as a duo in a scene very reminiscent of Pacific Rim. Wonder Woman, meanwhile, uses an ancient Amazon mech that looks more like a giant suit of armor than a sleek robot.
The world is a clever and engaging one, but this issue makes me unsure if the characters are on that same level. Superman is probably the most interesting character so far, but almost all the others have the same problem—they seem kind of young and juvenile at times, almost like squabbling teenagers. This is most distinct with Batman, who seems like a surly emo jock who is jealous of Superman. Hal and John’s banter also comes off a little Power Rangers-esque, and the whole group frequently has to be reigned in by Hawkwoman—the survivor of the JSA massacre who now organizes Earth’s planetary defense. Darkseid also seems a bit more like a cartoon villain than he usually does, but Lex Luthor is surprisingly compelling as a machiavellian mech designer who is willing to go to any length to keep his government contract. Overall, this feels more like a new animated spin-off than an Elseworlds, but maybe that’s what it’s going for—and it’s pretty good at the tone it’s going for.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
