“Yesterday’s” Comic> Firestorm #5

(obvious The Room pun here)

Firestorm #5

FINAL ISSUE

DC Comics (October/November 1978)

In the battle between Firestorm and the Hyena, “Spit” Shine’s men are freed. All of the stuff that’s been going on convinces Ronnie that maybe he can’t handle the superhero life, before “Spit” knocks him out and takes the unconscious Hyena. “Spit” was actually after Principal Hapgood, who knows someone named Rockwell, but it was against the wishes of the Shine family, who want to make the mob into a legit business (while still being the mob so “legit” is a questionable term on their part). While Hyena escapes, so does Multiplex from the hospital, now learning he doesn’t just need nuclear power to boost his ability to copy himself. Ronnie and Doreen learns that his father lied about how long he’s been a reporter before Multiplex attacks a subway for more power. Unfortunately for our composite hero, Martin’s blackouts have turned him to drinking, which affects Firestorm during the fight. While he wins Multiplex actually sent in one of his duploids, while the real Multiplex runs into the Hyena and they plot Firestorm’s downfall!

What they got right: You can tell Conway didn’t know this was the last issue (or at least knew the series would continue as back-up stories in The Flash) because there are some good stories set up. The Shine subplot (I’ll get back to that), the potential villain team-up, Cliff learning at least part of Firestorm’s identity (I’ll get back to that, too), and the mystery surrounding the Hyena (that, too). It also shows the strain Martin is under not knowing about his part as Firestorm.

What they got wrong: Let’s start with the Hyena mystery because that may have been addressed in issues I don’t have. I thought the Hyena was a “werewolf” style transformation but they keep talking like it’s a costume. (Go through my Fury Of Firestorm reviews for more on that.) Then there’s the part where Cliff learns that Firestorm may be a student at the school (while not aware it’s Ronnie or the composite factor). We see Cliff trying to figure out who it would be because Firestorm tormented Cliff that one time. We see he has a few enemies (and for some reason Ronnie isn’t on the list) who pick on him. Then why does he keep going after Ronnie? Is this addressed, too? Look, I was bullied in school. I didn’t take it out by picking on some other kid because I’m not a jerk. If that sequence was trying to make me feel sorry for Cliff Carmichael, it failed miserably because Cliff is still a horrible human being. At least we don’t see people on his side for a change. Finally, there’s the Shine plot. I didn’t know it started all the way out here, which makes the anti-climatic resolution in Fury Of Firestorm even more disappointing.

Recommendation: Despite my complaints (most of which are retroactive), this was a good story if only for the development of Ronnie and Martin. And this isn’t the last Firestorm adventure I have to review at the moment. While I’m still missing plenty of issues, the trade I’ve been using also reprints an unpublished story (later actually published in Canceled Comics Cavalcade) that I will review next week, as well as at least some of the Flash stories that I’ll be reviewing in a Scanning My Collection article, also next week.

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