Broken Frontier

Superhumans created by the government to fight evil and bring the country together. No, it’s not the Ultimates, but it is The American Way.

It’s 1961, and America is a virgin on third base—on the verge of losing her innocence. Camelot rules the White House, but these are dangerous times. Communists 90 miles from Florida, up in space as well, and hunkered down in Moscow with their red fingers on the nuclear trigger. Race relations threatening to tear the country apart. Vietnam on the back burner, but on slow boil. But that’s only the least of it. There are also alien invasions to repel and evildoers of the highest order to defeat. Indeed, desperate and sometimes brilliant ideas are born out of desperate times, and a government program known as The Civil Defense Corps is a little of both. Pharos, Freya, The Wanderer, Amber Waves, Mighty Delta and other superhumans fight the sort of battles the military can’t. They protect, but they also inspire. Too bad it’s mostly fake, as Wesley Catham learns when Robert Kennedy brings him onboard as a PR man. His mission—selling The CDC to the world. But what kind of positive spin can he put on the story when the CDC’s greatest hero is murdered in the line of duty?

Back-date either Supreme Power or The Ultimates 40 years and you’ve got The American Way. Yes, flawed humans behind the superhuman mask doing the government’s bidding is an established concept in comics today, but The American Way is worth consideration and praise for how well writer John Ridley and artist George Jenly execute a very common premise.

A novelist, screen, and comics writer, John Ridley is a jack-of-all-trades and a craftsman with every one. And while The American Way isn’t an innovation work of superhero fiction, Ridley brings techniques from other formats to make it an entertaining and thought provoking read. The strong cinematic quality of his writing gives the story that Millar-esque size, scale, and bravado that a super-team title needs these days. Like a natural comics writer, he constructs tight scenes with well-timed entry and exit points to keep the pacing fluid while also conveying a lot of set-up information. And his novel-writer’s ear for narration and characterization makes a compelling figure out of Wesley Catham, the lens through which the story is told. While Ridley focuses on Wesley and puts some distance between the reader and the superheroes, the gamble pays off. Wesley believing the government’s hype but eventually losing a little of his faith when he learns the truth parallels a similar transformation America was undergoing during the early 60s. It’s the sort of subtle resonance and depth of character that engages the reader without our even noticing. Sure, we’ll learn more about Pharos, Freya, and their colleagues as the series develops, but The American Way #1 works well precisely because they’re in the background. 

This first issue also works well because the art team is so locked into the script. George Jenly’s classic superhero realism takes us back to the Silver Age though his detailing, panel constructions and transitions reflect a modern sensibility. Karl Story’s inks keep contour and shading to a minimum, creating cool, polished surfaces that play well against Jenly’s depth. And Randy Mayor brings their lines to life with an array of pale secondary colors. Together, penciller, inker, and colorist create a look and feel that captures the Kennedy era and pulls us into the story.

The American Way. Remember the name. It’s the next WildStorm comic people will be talking about.