Broken Frontier

The dislodged Helmet of Fate returns from space and picks out the Detective Chimp to be the new Dr. Fate, but can he handle it?

The brain trust at DC is spearheading a campaign to usher in the new Dr. Fate post-Infinite Crisis. In doing so, a series of primer stories are in the works to celebrate the essence of the Helmet before it ultimately settles on a permanent host. First up is the Detective Chimp and this issue takes a special look at how this super sleuth handles the responsibility of infinite power.

Of course, things don’t go over as well as the Detective Chimp would like as he sets out to help the Gotham Police department solve a superhero related crime. The Chimp systematically figures out the motive in the crime and names the Trickster as the prime suspect. He then decides to let the detectives assigned to the case track down the suspect, as he leaves the scene and heads for home. Along the way, he gets a surprise visit from the Helmet of Fate as it comes crashing down from space. The Chimp deduces that he is the chosen one to wear the helmet and goes about the task of transforming into Dr. Fate. The trouble is with infinite power comes infinite responsibilities, and the Chimp finds himself getting into one precarious position right after the other.

So like I said at the start of this review, this story is just a primer in lieu of the birth of the eventual Dr Fate. The writing here (from Willingham) was tactful and told from the Chimp’s point of view, so it made for a very quirky story. Much of the content in this issue felt irrelevant for the most part though, given that Detective Chimp is obviously not the one who will ultimately wield the power of Dr. Fate. Of course, that’s not say this was poorly written, and on the contrary the dialogue here takes jabs at super heroics, and makes several assertions about possessing infinite power.

Many of these observations and quips were complemented well by the whimsical art of Shawn McManus. I have always liked his work and of course he’s no stranger to the Dr. Fate mythos since he worked on the late 80’s incarnation of the character along with writer J.M. DeMatteis. I was fond of that series and once I heard that he was going to be illustrating this issue I was eager to pick this one up. He didn’t disappoint at all and his quirkiness showed through from panel to panel. Shawn’s a true talent and he never missed a beat here, so his art salvaged my enjoyment of the issue.

I think this issue served its purpose in terms of showcasing the infinite power of the Helmet of Fate. I also think it was meant to just whet enough of the readers’ appetites in order to clear the decks for the coming of the one true bearer of the helmet. Of course, we all know the Detective Chimp doesn’t have the moxie to live up to that responsibility, but you’ve got to give him credit for having the stones to give it a shot.