Review: The Twelve 6
I just wasn’t sure about J. Michael Straczynski.
After Rising Stars, I wanted to believe in him. Then came “Sins Past” in Amazing Spider-Man and his Supreme Power seemed to go off the rails. So when they announced The Twelve, I just wasn’t sure.
Now, six issues later, there’s no doubt — this is a great series. And this issue is a perfect example why the premise works. Twelve heroes of the golden age were frozen in time, awakened in the present day and trying to figure things out. It is not going so well for them.
The main voice of the story continues to be the Phantom Reporter, who is one of the only “everyman” heroes (i.e. non-powered), but is the only one with his feet firmly on the ground. So far we’ve see the Laughing Mask put behind bars for a pre-frozen murder and the Blue Blade given a TV show, which is a flop.
Dynamic Man and Captain Wonder are playing hero, but finding the people they seek to help aren’t like they used to be. The most tragic figure, though, is Rockman. I felt for the guy from issue 1, but this really drives home his dire situation.
There seems to be a shift, however, as Mastermind Excello is sensing something very wrong. Maybe we’ll see an actual team-up as the heroes of yesterday fight the menace of the future. It’d also be nice to see some interaction with today’s heroes, especially Captain America, who is also from their era.
This book is so much better than I thought it would be and it plays well off Golden Age tropes in modern times. The best part is, you don’t have to know their histories intimately to get into this story. All the continuity you need is in the first six issues. Read this book.
– Greg Elwell
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