Somebody doesn’t know it’s Christmas.
Firestorm The Nuclear Man #66
DC Comics (December, 1987)
“Out Of Control” WRITER: John Ostrander PENCILER: Joe Brozowski INKER: Sam De La Rosa COLORIST: Shelley Eiber LETTERER: John Costanza EDITOR: Denny O’Neil “FIRESTORM” CREATORS: Gerry Conway & Al Milgrom
Centuries after an alien race destroys a planet, some surviving organism ride a shard of the planet to Earth. (I’m assuming this was part of a future story I don’t own, or it would make no sense to be here.) Meanwhile, Ronnie tries to figure out how the new Firestorm, who seems to have his own personality, and a strong dose of naivety, as demonstrated when Ronnie comes across a black man being chased by racists who want to burn him alive. Green Lantern (Hal, who gets to stay conscious this story) happens to be in the area and tries to put out fires caused by Firestorm’s rescue that led to a ricocheted bullet blowing up a gas pump. The man convinces Firestorm to let it burn, not realizing the cost to his friends still below, one of which is killed. While this goes on, a Russian agent continues to have his suspicions about Mikhail, who gets his children back but at home was called to form Firestorm.
Okay, I’m not going to say it’s a badly written story because it isn’t. It’s also well-drawn. However, it felt to me like Ostrander was more interested in social commentary and I’m not sure what he was trying to say. In addition this is not the Firestorm I signed on for. He’s easily motivated to let people die because the guy was angry. He’s dangerous because his brain appears to be switched off. I’m just not enjoying the story.
As far as a recommendation, I can’t really recommend this comic. It’s not a bad comic exactly but it isn’t Firestorm as I know it, and I haven’t enjoyed Ostrander’s stories with the original Firestorm team of Ronnie and Martin. It’s not the tone I go for and I just haven’t had fun reading the few issues he’s done that I own. I wouldn’t warn anybody away but I can’t personally recommend this run, either. Next week, it’s the last Firestorm comic I own that I haven’t reviewed except for the 90’s comics and the issues in the graphic novel I still have to find. In other words, after next week there won’t be a Firestorm comic review for awhile, although I hope to find that trade before Firestorm’s official debut on the CW’s Flash show, which might help me out in the reader numbers. It has the rest of the original miniseries, some stories from the back-up in The Flash and a previously unpublished Firestorm adventure. I’ll keep looking.
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