Never try to write a gag for a boring cover when you’re tired.
Primal Force #0
DC Comics (October, 1994)
“The Call”
WRITER: Steven T. Seagle
PENCILER: Ken Hooper
INKER: Barbara Kaalberg
COLORIST: Phil Allen
LETTERER: Willie Schubert
EDITOR: Jim Spivey
After the events of Zero Hour, the surviving leymen decide that their ranks would be better served by superheroes, especially after hearing that someone called Cataclysm is returning. Doctor Mist is forced to call on new champions before Cataclysm attacks him. Five heroes are still summoned: Red Tornado, Jack O’Lantern, Meridian Mychaels, Golem, and Claw. However, Claw was in the middle of something and assumes he’s dealing with his enemies. It’s a rough start for the team.
Here’s a comic that suffers from the 90’s problem of not explaining much in the first issue. We saw it with Manhunter as well. I did see the leymen in a cameo during Zero Hour: A Crisis In Time but I have no idea who they are. Red Tornado is a long-running DC hero but I don’t know anything about the rest of them. There is no explanation. We see them doing something, some old lady tells them to head for the water, and then they show up at Doctor Mist’s place (I think he’s similar to Doctor Strange from the Marvel universe but outside of being immortal and having a daughter who is an oracle, we learn nothing about him either). Some guy climbs to a mountain, jumps into a well, and becomes the host of…something. Nothing is explained and the writer is hoping just showing some cool introductions will be enough.
But they’re not that cool. Jack O’Lantern rescues a girl from a burning bus, but laments that she was hurt in the process. Claw gets his butt kicked and a damaged Red Tornado is found by two kids. Meridian goes swimming. Golem is being accused of killing someone and there’s a manhunt gunning for him although he proclaims his innocence. Doctor Mist is nearly drowned, surviving only because he’s immortal I would imagine. It’s not exactly the best introduction these characters could have.
Maybe the series got better but this is not a good introduction to this series. I can’t really recommend it.
