Milestone Universe: The Shadow Cabinet #1 – Joseph P. Illidge, Writer; Darryl Banks, Atugan Ilhan, Artist; Christopher Sotomayor, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: I’ve really enjoyed the relaunch of the Milestone Universe over the last few years, but I think it suffers a bit from the scattered pace. We haven’t seen much of it since the Icon vs. Hardware miniseries a while back, which left the universe in an unexpected place – as well as introduced DC villains Vandal Savage and Brainiac into the fray. The latter has had a big impact, nearly conquering Earth. And now a new writer, acclaimed indie writer and former Batman editor Joseph Illidge takes the helm for the biggest story the universe has had yet. Our POV character this issue is Rocket, who is estranged from Icon since the powerful hero disappeared and is currently working with fugitive tech hero Curtis Metcalf, who is still underground since his time-travel chaos in the previous series. Rocket’s narration does a great job of grounding this epic story in some very human emotions.
But she’s only one part of the story’s huge-scale scope, which brings in characters from across Dakota and beyond. The main antagonist, at least at the start, seems to be Angela Alva – the new head of Alva’s corporation. On the surface she’s trying to make amends for Edwin Alva’s crime, but her aggressive recruitment and bottomless pockets make clear she could be up to no good. There are some great action segments along the way, including one that brings in Anansi – a character who made his debut in the Static Shock comic long ago. This western-inspired trickster warrior is a lot of fun, and his sarcastic, ambiguous style makes a great contrast to Rocket’s newfound intensity. Along the way, we’re introduced to a major player from the Milestone Universe’s past, a new team is formed, and the first big battle is set up. Illidge is doing some really interesting stuff here.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
