Broken Frontier

A new Terra arrives on the scene but who is this girl and why does she work so hard to be a hero?

While the roll-out for the new version of Terra has been delayed for some time, what has now hit the stands is something of a breath of fresh air that some fans, old and new should appreciate. While Gray and Palmiotti have proven (both separately and together) that they can write the grittiest of gritty stories, what they produce here is something surprisingly light, cheerful and full of joy and a spirit of adventure.

It turns out there are entire societies of beings living beneath the surface of the Earth and standing between the good beings and the bad beings is a mysterious young woman with the power to control the Earth itself. This same young woman also finds herself standing between the subterranean societies and humans above as well. It is a taxing job and when she bites off more than she can chew, she finds herself in hot water… or more like hot lava. The word is out on her, though, and the rest of the superhero community is starting to wonder just who she is and what connection she may have to two other girls who once commanded the power of earth.

Admittedly, this first issue is a bit light and fluffy – something that isn’t always seen from Gray and Palmiotti. The story is breezy and adventure-filled but in that crazy Saturday matinee-1950’s-B-Movie style that DC used to be famous for. There are wacky, impossible science fiction elements and the subterranean beings are cute, monstrous and kitschy by turns. They also play around a little bit with the character name by having many of the creatures address the young heroine as a "Terran". The dynamic writing duo takes care, though, not to go too deeply into the past. Terra is not an attempt to ape the style of characters like Cave Carson but rather to take the model and bring it into the present. This version of Terra is a heroine in the truest sense of the word – wanting to do good just because she can and just because someone should – but she has her flaws and her faults and a visible shyness that is endearing and intriguing.

Speaking of visibility… Amanda Conner handles the art for the entire mini-series and with the kick-off it shows that it was worth the wait. While her cartoony style is not liked by everyone there is no question that she handles body language with a maestro’s touch. Terra’s shyness and anxiousness around reporters comes through eloquently – even to the point that one would not necessarily need Gray and Palmiotti’s words to understand what is happening in the panels. Likewise, the new villain’s arrogance is telegraphed with every gesture. Even when the scenes and the dialogue are serious, Conner finds ways of injecting bits of whimsy that leave a reader smiling.

Do not expect much scientific rationalization here – this is pure, impossible sci-fi stuff but in the best possible way. Creative creatures, wild, weird and wacky ideas and widescreen battles stuff this first issue to bursting along with a heroine who is cute, sweet, shy and a massive overachiever. For readers looking to escape from grim-n-gritty stories and conflicted, angsty heroes, there is something new on the block. Looks like it’s time for a little ROCK and roll….