“Yesterday’s” Comic> Fate #0

“The bread’s still warm if you want some.”

Fate #0

DC Comics (October, 1994)

“Twisted Fate”

WRITER: John Francis Moore

PENCILER: Anthony Williams

INKER: Andy Lanning

COLORIST: Mike Danza

LETTERER: Clem Robins

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Chuck Lim

EDITOR: Archie Goodwin

Jared Stevens is a art thief and smuggler. He was hired to grab three specific item, but a rival to his employer pays the pilot to kill him and the other employees traveling with him. He escapes death and is found by two old people–who just happen to be Kent and Inza Nelson, the avatars of Nabu known as Doctor Fate…or at least they were until the events of Zero Hour. Now they are dying but must still protect the helmet, amulet, and cloak of Doctor Fate from an enemy named Kingdom, who wants to use their power to bring his demonic army to Earth. And fate has plans for Mr. Stevens. Two demons manage to kill the Nelsons, and Jared escapes with the helmet, arriving at his ex-wife’s place a changed man…physically anyway.

Look, I didn’t follow Doctor Fate when he was just a superhero and I certainly didn’t follow this comic after this 90s makeover. It appears they were trying to turn Fate into Doctor Strange, but lose the “Doctor” part (a vision Jared has when two demons attack and one destroys the amulet is him in full 90s getup saying “maybe you could stop Doctor Fate but the doctor is out”). I’m not sure it’s a benefit to the character but it doesn’t matter since they threw out Doctor Fate and brought in this guy. DC seemed to be pushing their magical section hard and we’ll see more of that, but it’s just not the kind of story I’m into. The art’s pretty good for the 90s, which means it’s still bad but I’ve easily seen worse.

I’m not really the guy to promote this comic. If I were to be asked (and you clicked on the review, so that’s like asking) I don’t think I’d recommend this comic to anyone. It just doesn’t interest me, but that’s as much the genre and 90s art style as any other comment on quality.