People say imitation is the highest form of flattery. This is true for comics.
Most of DC Comics New Age of Heroes line has unfortunately taken that literally, creating characters that are a bit too similar to the Marvelous Competition.
Jeff Lemire’s The Terrifics is the only book that treads the line between homage and imitation without crossing it. His crew of motley heroes share some things in common with Marvel’s First Family, but the differences are sharp enough to make The Terrifics stand on it’s own. Jeff Lemire builds on those differences in The Terrifics # 2, even as he spins a yarn that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby would be proud of.
The plot of issue #2 is pretty straightforward. The heroes meet up for the first time in the decaying corpse of a Galactus look alike, then flee back to earth. What makes this work is the dynamic which Lemire sets up between Mr. Terrific, Metallo, Plastic Man and Phantom Girl. The interactions these complete strangers share is genuinely fun, with Plastic Man being the standout.
They aren’t a family, and its clear that some of them don’t even like each other, and through the vagaries of inter dimensional travel they become bound to one another. It is unfortunate that issue #2 still doesn’t do much plot-wise besides bringing them together. Lemire’s take on these underused characters is compelling, but the story needs more meat on it’s bones before The Terrifics can reach it’s full potential.
The Terrifics riffs off the Fantastic Four thing visually, and that’s a good thing. Mr. Terrific and co spend half this issue in the cadaver of a giant alien, witch the art team led by Ivan Reis portrays with gusto. Whether it’s Plastic Man’s crazy shapes or the bright colors of a vastly different universe, the art team excels at channeling Kirbyesque weirdness. Much of the book’s charm comes from Reis’s ability to make the epic backdrops and strange characters feel grounded and intimate. His pencils give the characters a genuine humanity that anchors the whimsy of Lemire’s script.
Rating: 8.0
-Andrew Fontana
