Milestone 30th Anniversary Special #1 – Evan Narcisse, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Stephanie Williams, Geoffrey Thorne, Lamar Giles, Writers; Atagun Ilhan/Dexter Vines/Norm Rapmund, ChrisCross/Juan Castro, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Yasmin Flores Monaenez, Sean Damien Hill/Anthony Fowler Jr/Juan Castro, Paris Alleyne, Artists; Chris Sotomayor, Noelle Giddings, Romulo Fajardo Jr, Wil Quintana, Colorists
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: DC celebrates the 30th anniversary of this pioneering comic line with a massive anthology featuring five tales from the past, present, and future of the universe. What’s behind the covers?
First up is “Universal Beings,” a thirty-page tale by Evan Narcisse, Atagun Ilhan, and ChrisCross that answers the big question—what would happen if the 1993 Milestone met the current Milestone? The arrival of a new Bang Baby, one who is in the middle of a traumatic mental breakdown, leads to the creation of a new Rift—which collides the two universes together. This leads to some great moments, like the two Rockets comparing notes or Static being confronted with a very different—and less friendly—Hardware. The best part is the two Statics getting to know each other, and discovering that while some things have gotten better, others are very much still the same. With so many characters in this, things get a little frantic sometimes, but overall it’s a great tribute to the whole legacy of Milestone.
Nikolas Draper-Ivey writes and draws “Static Beyond,” a fun crossover between Static and Batman Beyond. After a particularly rough day in the field, Terry has a chip on his shoulder and he and Bruce are feuding—so Bruce calls in an assist from one of the best active heroes out there. It’s great to see an older Static in action, in full control of his powers, and the banter between the two is a lot of fun. Draper-Ivey’s brilliant art looks completely different with the limited color palette, but no less impressive.
“Icon Forever” by Williams and Flores Montanez turns the focus on Rocket, who is now taking on the mantle of Icon in the future of the Milestone Universe. With Amistad heading off to college and Augustus happily retired, Raquel is facing a future where she’s determining her own path—and quickly finds herself struggling to juggle her personal and superhero lives. There is more Raquel and less Icon in this issue than I expected, but I highly enjoyed this optimistic look into a possible future for some of Milestone’s best characters.
Geoffrey Thorne gives the Blood Syndicate a bonus issue with “Blood Syndicate: Epilogue,” as he and the art team pick up after the events of the miniseries. As the heroes take over Paris Island and try to set up their own government, the mysterious Dharma begins to put a much larger plan into effect. Much like the main series, this is a dense story that tries to pack a lot of plot developments into a limited space. The art is great and the character designs are compelling, but it feels like a teaser for something I’m not sure will come.
Finally, we’ve got a preview for the graphic novel “Static: Up All Night” by Giles and Alleyne. This is a roughly 20-page snippet that shows a taste of a more grounded Static – just as concerned with a recent failed relationship as superhero affairs. Along with Richie and some guest appearances from other Milestone characters, Static winds up causing a chaotic scene at a music festival that’s just kicking off as we head off. Looking forward to the rest of this.
Overall, this is a solid issue, with the first three stories all being standouts.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
