“I’m getting my money back on this mirror!”
Hardware #17
DC/Milestone (July, 1994)
“Worlds Collide” chapter 2 “No Rest For The Weary” WRITER: Dwayne McDuffie PENCILERS: Denys Cowan & J.J. Birch INKERS: Prentis Rollins & J.J. Birch COLORIST: J. Scott J. COLOR ASSIST: Andrew Burrell LETTERER: Steve Dutro EDITOR: Matt Wayne
(continued from Superman: Man Of Steel #38) In Dakota Fred Benson has gone to a research lab that Alva happens to own. Learning that Fred gives off a lot of energy when he disappears to Metropolis, Alva uses Hardware to scan him when he makes the transition. However, when Fred goes to sleep Hardware travels with him to Metropolis, still recovering from Luthor’s “safeguards”. There he saves a woman from being raped by some more of those paramilitary guys that keep popping up for some reason during “Fall Of Metropolis”, but when he returns to Fred he has a strange vision in which he’s in a mirror, which is smashed by Steel (not that he knows who Steel is, mind you) and that conscience Curtis claims to not have seems to differ with him before Fred wakes them both up back in Dakota with a copy of the Daily Planet. While he says he still wants to help Fred, Alva instead sees a second world to exploit. (continues in Superboy #6)
What they got right: This feels more like an introduction to this event than the official first chapter did. We get our first crossover of heroes during the event and even though Hardware doesn’t get to meet a local hero he still gets to do some superhero stuff. Not being a regular reader of the series I don’t know what Hardware usually gets into, but I doubt he tends to fight supervillains like his DC counterpart.
What they got wrong: Why does Hardware have this vision? Is it supposed to be a side effect of Fred’s powers? Because I don’t recall anyone else dealing with anything like this during the event.
Recommendation: A better opening to “Worlds Collide” than the issue I reviewed last week. It’s worth picking up for the storyline but nothing special if this Superman/Milestone crossover doesn’t interest you.
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