Broken Frontier

The book that changed the face of superhero teams gets its third relaunch in about as many years. Can it return to its former glory? In short, not yet.

A submarine goes down in the Norwegian Sea. Terrorists are suspected to have something to do with the tragedy, but local naval authorities are sent to investigate.

You ever read something and by the time you’ve finished it you’re not exactly sure what you just witnessed? That was me upon reading this issue of the new Authority series debut. The Authority is nowhere to be seen the entire issue. In fact, the only action--and this book wrote the, uh…book on gratuitous action--is in the opening pages, and the reader is hardly clear on what really happens. Much of the issue lingers on the minutia of a couple that has somehow lost their way over the years. Finally, by the end of the issue, we get a veiled hint of what might have something to do with the Authority.

Over the years, I’ve read more than my fair share of Grant Morrison. Aside from All-Star Superman (which I adore), I can honestly say that my opinion of his stuff is pretty low. Here, for instance, Morrison seems to be passing the time with some form of human drama involving two characters we as readers aren’t yet invested in, and therefore don’t really care about. Morrison is known for high concept, often bizarre takes on the norm, but it seems as though he is just trying too hard. Or, in the case of Authority #1, he is barely trying at all.

As for the art, Gene Ha is typically clean and impressive, but this issue is a mess. Ha goes off the deep end in using the blur effect in this issue. Virtually every page looks like it is supposed to take place either underwater, in a dream or in a high action sequence, but even the slower moments between the couple are given this treatment, and I’m not sure why.

The end of the book does offer a little bit of promise for future issues. There is a mysterious object at the bottom of the sea near the sunken submarine, which most likely has something to do with the superteam that carries the title of this book. However, the pace of this particular issue is so slow that it felt more like a #0 issue--a prelude of sorts. I will give Morrison and Ha one more issue to bail themselves out, and explain this bland beginning.