The multiverse is a vast and ever-expanding place filled with different universes and realities. One reality is Earth-X. Earth-X is a vision of what the world would have become if the Allies lost against Hitler and his Nazi forces during World War 2.
Vendetti’s writing in this mini-series is amazing and grabs your attention with a world overrun by tyranny, where history has been rewritten and heroes although very few leave a strong impression that demands attention. There is a fantastic page that is a clear continuation of the cover, making the book feel cinematic in tone and theme. The writing, the plot and set up of this story is well crafted from the first half of the book centered in 1963 and the other half of it expanding on the ramifications of the day when the original Freedom Fighters disappeared. It is a very mature book that isn’t afraid to go in places that a book like this should and in some cases with its underlying theme may (based on how readers might perceive it) might find relevance that a story like this contains.
As someone who has seen the Freedom FIghters appear in a couple of books prior to the 2011 New 52, I didn’t really know much about the Freedom Fighters other than the premise and as a teenager unintentionally dismissed it due to my interests in more streamlined superhero books. But this particular series provides an interesting lense in a world where superheroes a very scarce, and offers a different look at what the world would have become in a somewhat Wolfenstein fashion.
Aside from the development and pace of really strong plot, I was surprised to see some characters such as Black Condor being apart of this title since I grew up reading the 90’s iteration of the character from an old DC Showcase comic that I had as a kid. I always dug through back issues in comic book shops. I had a lot of quarters so I would go to my local comic shop at the age of 12 or 13 years of age and buy a ton of back issues whenever I couldn’t buy the latest comics. So I would develop an interest in obscure characters such as Black Condor and imagine what could be done with those obscure characters that most had forgotten. It is with great pleasure that at the age of 24 I get to witness someone like Venditti bring characters such as Black Condor make effort to utilize a variety of obscure characters that haven’t been seen since Pre- Flashpoint is really dope to discover and read! Venditti does a great job at introducing some of the most intimidating villains that one would never had realized could be terrifying. Antagonists such as a crew of Plastic Men is as terrifying of a concept and Venditti makes sure to stick the landing in making villains such as there leave a strong impression on readers among a few other things. How the story progresses feels like a movie in all the right ways and delivers some worthwhile content that a mini-series such as this is worth reading.
Burrows artwork is top notch and in top form than ever before! His work on Detective Comics really put a large spotlight on him that whenever he was announced to contribute pencils on a book, people would make the effort to genuinely seek out his work and read it. This book is no exception and proves that the wait for something of this caliber of a book was worth the wait. The inks by Eber Ferreira is strong and crisp, and for some reason reminds me of the kind of work that was showcased in Rags Morales work in Identity Crisis in regards to the crispness of the inks. Adriano Lucas is the colorist of this book and his colors meshes beautifully to the tone of the book and to Burrows pencils, making the book have the kind of visual appeal that a mini-series such as this demands.
I feel this book is gonna become an underrated gem that most comic book readers might overlook due to the cast of characters and story that doesn’t feature the more popular characters that DC is known for. Obviously, those who follow Venditti’s work and have been loving his stuff on Hawkman (which you should definitely check out and pick up) will no doubt appreciate this series. But I think that a series like this is worthwhile to read and feels like a nice refreshing take on the Freedom Fighters for a new generation that welcomes longtime fans and neophytes alike. Given that it’s a mini-series really makes for a very interesting journey that will unravel and all the best ways possible. I’m genuinely excited to see where Venditti takes this series as this proves that It’s definitely worthwhile to pick up and add to the pull list.
Newsdesk