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geekwayne's review against another edition
5.0
Darwyn Cooke died much too soon. I became a fan of his a few years prior to his death and instantly fell in love with his style.
'Absolute DC: The New Frontier' is his take on the birth of the Justice League told in a way that couldn't be done at the time. Issues like racism, segregation, and equality in the late 1950s are intermingled with a story that is grand in scope.
The art style has almost a classic animation style from the era. His take on these characters is bright and positive, even as the story has darker moments. Gathering in as many characters of the era and keeping it all interesting is an amazing feat.
I missed out on reading this when it was initially out, but I'm so very glad I read this classic work by someone whose work I so greatly admire. I miss you, Darwyn.
'Absolute DC: The New Frontier' is his take on the birth of the Justice League told in a way that couldn't be done at the time. Issues like racism, segregation, and equality in the late 1950s are intermingled with a story that is grand in scope.
The art style has almost a classic animation style from the era. His take on these characters is bright and positive, even as the story has darker moments. Gathering in as many characters of the era and keeping it all interesting is an amazing feat.
I missed out on reading this when it was initially out, but I'm so very glad I read this classic work by someone whose work I so greatly admire. I miss you, Darwyn.
6pminhell's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
breakfastgrey's review against another edition
5.0
It's hard for me to give this one anything less than 5 stars. It's not perfect, but it resonates so strongly with me that I just don't care. Darwyn Cooke remains one of my all time favorite artists and this book is a large reason why. I first read it when I was getting into comics because it's just so unbelievably beautiful. Rereading it now with a number of years of comics experience and lore under my belt is an even richer experience. The way the book straddles the era between the end of the golden age and beginning of the silver is absolutely top notch. Everything weaves together beautifully. It's a special book for me with a lot of nostalgia tied to it, but I can't imagine anyone reading it all the way through and not closing it with a smile on their face after that ending.
unladylike's review against another edition
5.0
For some reason, I have *never* heard anyone talk about this epic graphic novel-style DC story by Darwyn Cooke (who died two years ago this week). Not on any lists, referenced as inspiration, nothing. I randomly found the adapted feature length animated version of it in my library's catalog while searching for DC Lego DVDs. I checked it out on a whim and was blown away by the quality. I would put it up there with Batman: Under the Hood in my Top DCAU movies list. Finding the book itself proved to be more challenging, likely because of the luxurious printing and binding style, which means libraries have to pay more for it. After waiting for it to be shipped from some random library in rural Oklahoma that happens to own the largest Deluxe HC edition, the first thing I noticed was the extremely high quality paper and inks used. It feels good to turn the physical pages, and the way the light hits the colors from various angles strikes me as being much better than that used in most comic book trades and graphic novels.
The story itself is essentially a JLA origin story, which has been done countless times. The New Frontier is strikingly different, and ended up being one of the most riveting, best-told comic books I've read, especially within the DC universe.
Most striking is that the core JLA members serve more as supporting characters rather than being in the spotlight the whole time. In the annotations and afterword, Cooke explains that as a kid, he was never into superhero comics, but loved the war, Western, and mystery comic books. This explains why the majority of the story focuses on various obscure DC military figures who fought in the Korean War (which itself is often referred to as The Forgotten War, and is technically still going to this day, but agreements were finally made last month to work towards a resolution to the conflict).
The first 30 pages act as a prologue featuring The Losers, which Cooke explains was DC's lowest-selling, least-memorable wartime comic. There's a mist-covered, mysteriously hidden island in the center of the ocean that some G.I.s crash landed on while delivering a high-ranking former Nazi scientist to the Allies. Now a rescue team has been sent in, but they quickly get picked off by motherfucking DINOSAURS! In the afterword, Darwyn Cooke points out that it was intentional to make the first real hero in The New Frontier a Native American. I wondered about that, but find myself wishing there were much more inclusion of Native characters in superhero stories - *especially* every time we see Superman make a grand speech about fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way, and the "freedom for every man and woman to pursue their destiny." Like, come on, Supes, you don't know about the history of colonialism and genocide in America?!
I predicted that the Nazi scientist himself would be key in the plot, but that's not the case. The historical fiction elements are crucial in establishing the mood and progressing the story through various conflicts. A line from Yeats's most famous poem (The Second Coming), a children's author based on Dr. Seuss, and the mass paranoia and Red-jacketing during the McCarthy era are significant pieces in the story. Fear of communist influence in the U.S. has prompted a no-masks-allowed law akin to Marvel's Superhero Registration Act (aka The Sakovia Accords). The JSA (Justice Society of America, which predates the Justice League of America) has avoided having their identities revealed by disbanding. The only superheroes that are registered and sent out on government-sanctioned missions are Superman and Wonder Woman.
The two JLA characters that get the most page time and personal insight are Hal Jordan (obvi because he's an Air Force Top Gun type) and John Jones, which was the first human-passing alias taken on by Martian Manhunter, and is humorously inspired by detective shows on television. I've never been a big Green Lantern fan, but the character arc for Jordan becoming the first human to wield a power ring is fantastic. J'onn J'onzz has for many years been an underplayed character and, in my opinion, is fascinating, powerful, and thoughtful enough to warrant a much higher level of attention in both comics and adaptations into other media, so I was greatly pleased with his role in the book.
I'm not going to describe the plot anymore, but I highly recommend getting this book. It's an epic one, coming in at around 400 pages, with an additional hundred pages of bonus content worth going through. But as superhero stories written in chapters like this, New Frontier is much more readable than, say, Watchmen.
Speaking of Watchmen, the controversial Before Watchmen comics a few years back was one of the last major projects Darwyn Cooke was involved in before passing away. I have little interest in reading those, but now I'm eager to seek out more of the DCAU films and shows he wrote.
The story itself is essentially a JLA origin story, which has been done countless times. The New Frontier is strikingly different, and ended up being one of the most riveting, best-told comic books I've read, especially within the DC universe.
Most striking is that the core JLA members serve more as supporting characters rather than being in the spotlight the whole time. In the annotations and afterword, Cooke explains that as a kid, he was never into superhero comics, but loved the war, Western, and mystery comic books. This explains why the majority of the story focuses on various obscure DC military figures who fought in the Korean War (which itself is often referred to as The Forgotten War, and is technically still going to this day, but agreements were finally made last month to work towards a resolution to the conflict).
The first 30 pages act as a prologue featuring The Losers, which Cooke explains was DC's lowest-selling, least-memorable wartime comic. There's a mist-covered, mysteriously hidden island in the center of the ocean that some G.I.s crash landed on while delivering a high-ranking former Nazi scientist to the Allies. Now a rescue team has been sent in, but they quickly get picked off by motherfucking DINOSAURS! In the afterword, Darwyn Cooke points out that it was intentional to make the first real hero in The New Frontier a Native American. I wondered about that, but find myself wishing there were much more inclusion of Native characters in superhero stories - *especially* every time we see Superman make a grand speech about fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way, and the "freedom for every man and woman to pursue their destiny." Like, come on, Supes, you don't know about the history of colonialism and genocide in America?!
I predicted that the Nazi scientist himself would be key in the plot, but that's not the case. The historical fiction elements are crucial in establishing the mood and progressing the story through various conflicts. A line from Yeats's most famous poem (The Second Coming), a children's author based on Dr. Seuss, and the mass paranoia and Red-jacketing during the McCarthy era are significant pieces in the story. Fear of communist influence in the U.S. has prompted a no-masks-allowed law akin to Marvel's Superhero Registration Act (aka The Sakovia Accords). The JSA (Justice Society of America, which predates the Justice League of America) has avoided having their identities revealed by disbanding. The only superheroes that are registered and sent out on government-sanctioned missions are Superman and Wonder Woman.
The two JLA characters that get the most page time and personal insight are Hal Jordan (obvi because he's an Air Force Top Gun type) and John Jones, which was the first human-passing alias taken on by Martian Manhunter, and is humorously inspired by detective shows on television. I've never been a big Green Lantern fan, but the character arc for Jordan becoming the first human to wield a power ring is fantastic. J'onn J'onzz has for many years been an underplayed character and, in my opinion, is fascinating, powerful, and thoughtful enough to warrant a much higher level of attention in both comics and adaptations into other media, so I was greatly pleased with his role in the book.
I'm not going to describe the plot anymore, but I highly recommend getting this book. It's an epic one, coming in at around 400 pages, with an additional hundred pages of bonus content worth going through. But as superhero stories written in chapters like this, New Frontier is much more readable than, say, Watchmen.
Speaking of Watchmen, the controversial Before Watchmen comics a few years back was one of the last major projects Darwyn Cooke was involved in before passing away. I have little interest in reading those, but now I'm eager to seek out more of the DCAU films and shows he wrote.
soph97's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
librarimans's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the greatest stories ever published in comics.
bone173's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
lukedaloop's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely phenomenal. A beautiful celebration of DC's comics history with a well-written story, and just the right amount of each hero. Each character is distinct, and their motivations are clear. Artwork is gorgeous as well, and the wealth of extra content is astounding. This may be my favorite trade paperback I own now.
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
An alien menace threatens the earth in the late 1950's and it'll take every hero humanity has to stop it.
Confession time: While I'd heard of The New Frontier, I didn't pick it up until after Darwyn Cooke's death. Now that I've read it, I wish I'd picked it up sooner.
The New Frontier is the story of the transition of the DC universe from the Justice Society era through the 1950s to the formation of the Justice League. Pretty much every DC character from pre-1960 is in it. Unlike how things originally went down, The New Frontier links characters from DC's war comics, their supernatural comics, and their super hero comics.
I knew this was going to be something different when the first few pages had The Losers fighting dinosaurs. The story is pretty much a love letter to the DC comics of the late 1950s. In addition to old favorites like the Justice League, some without their powers for most of the book, Darwyn Cooke dug up King Faraday, Slam Bradley, the Challengers of the Unknown, Adam Strange, and many others.
Rick Flag and Task Force X, aka The Suicide Squad, played a prominent part in safeguarding America once the Justice League went into retirement. I loved seeing a pre-Green Lantern Hal Jordan paling around with Rick Flagg and Ace Morgan. The early days of J'Onn J'Onnz, aka the Martian Manhunter, were really cool as well.
I thought it was great that Darwyn Cooke didn't focus on the icons like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, instead giving a lot of time to Hal Jordan and the Challengers of the Unknown. The Flash and Green Arrow could have had more to do but Cooke only had so much room to tell his tale.
While the story was great, I loved the art. Cooke's retro style did a good job of evoking the 1950s period it was depicting. It was Silver Age with a modern touch and quite something to behold. I'll definitely be tracking down more of his work.
I could gush about this book all day. Instead of talking about Kingdom Come with reverence, this is the DC book people should be holding on a pedestal. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Confession time: While I'd heard of The New Frontier, I didn't pick it up until after Darwyn Cooke's death. Now that I've read it, I wish I'd picked it up sooner.
The New Frontier is the story of the transition of the DC universe from the Justice Society era through the 1950s to the formation of the Justice League. Pretty much every DC character from pre-1960 is in it. Unlike how things originally went down, The New Frontier links characters from DC's war comics, their supernatural comics, and their super hero comics.
I knew this was going to be something different when the first few pages had The Losers fighting dinosaurs. The story is pretty much a love letter to the DC comics of the late 1950s. In addition to old favorites like the Justice League, some without their powers for most of the book, Darwyn Cooke dug up King Faraday, Slam Bradley, the Challengers of the Unknown, Adam Strange, and many others.
Rick Flag and Task Force X, aka The Suicide Squad, played a prominent part in safeguarding America once the Justice League went into retirement. I loved seeing a pre-Green Lantern Hal Jordan paling around with Rick Flagg and Ace Morgan. The early days of J'Onn J'Onnz, aka the Martian Manhunter, were really cool as well.
I thought it was great that Darwyn Cooke didn't focus on the icons like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, instead giving a lot of time to Hal Jordan and the Challengers of the Unknown. The Flash and Green Arrow could have had more to do but Cooke only had so much room to tell his tale.
While the story was great, I loved the art. Cooke's retro style did a good job of evoking the 1950s period it was depicting. It was Silver Age with a modern touch and quite something to behold. I'll definitely be tracking down more of his work.
I could gush about this book all day. Instead of talking about Kingdom Come with reverence, this is the DC book people should be holding on a pedestal. 4.5 out of 5 stars.