Broken Frontier

Intergalactic war brews on the horizon as the fourth miniseries to spin out of DC Countdown begins.

Using a device called the Omega Beam, the planet Rann was transported across the Universe to hide it from its enemies. Upon its return however, a saboteur altered its destination, sending it to the star system of the warlike Thanagar. The resulting gravitational strain sent Thanagar hurtling into its sun, leading to planetary Armageddon. Now Thanagar’s refugees are living on Rann, the very world that destroyed their own. As tensions run high, Rann’s defender Adam Strange seeks allies for the conflict he knows is to come.

The Rann/Thanagar War is the fourth of the miniseries leading to DC’s upcoming and much-hyped Infinite Crisis. What has impressed me about these stories more than the average crossover event is the scope and variety of focus. Each series displays the richness of the DC Universe with its vast cast and each tackles a different genre (be it straight superhero, fantasy, or now science fiction). Even more impressive, each can be read independently and does not require a reader to purchase them all to make any sense of things.

With Rann/Thanagar, we jump headlong into epic sci-fi/space opera territory and the resulting story proves to be quite a remarkable setup indeed. Though spinning out of the recent Adam Strange miniseries, this first issue provides the necessary background one needs and plunges the reader into an action-packed extravaganza. Writer Dave Gibbons seems to be creating his story with a large canvas in mind, as the events are already having a widespread impact across the cosmos. Alliances are being forged and most of the major planets and space adventurers have a vested interest in the outcome of this war. Gibbons seems to have put a good amount of thought into the workings of the galactic culture and the effect this conflict will have on it. The result is a rather tense and fascinating story that has me on the edge of my seat.

On the visual side of things, Ivan Reis and Marc Campos’ art is nothing short of spectacular. Reis employs a very classic comic book style teeming with detail yet never excessively busy or over-rendered. His action sequences convey the chaos and savagery of war while his gorgeous close-up shots border on being portraits. If it’s realism you’re looking for, Reis is an artist sure to delight. I also appreciated the little touches in the artwork (such as the floating holographic displays and elaborate architecture) that hearken back to the look of the Adam Strange series. Rann is becoming one of the more visually captivating locales of the DC Universe. This visual splendor is aided by the moody colors of John Kalisz. The vaguely ominous glow throughout the book serves as a constant reminder of the title’s "fires of war."

For those who enjoy epic science fiction adventure, The Rann/Thanagar War should prove to be quite a thrilling ride. Whose side are you on?

-Eric Lindberg