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DC: The New Frontier #1-2
DC: The New Frontier: Deluxe Edition
Writer/illustrator Darwyn Cooke's critically acclaimed masterpiece
DC: The New Frontier
is celebrated in this oversized Absolute edition featuring new story pages, detailed annotations, alternate sequences and an extensive gallery of sketches, pinups, action figure art and much more!
In the 1950s, Cold War paranoia outlawed the Mystery Men of the Golden Age. Stalwarts such as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman continued to fight for truth and justice, but as the world hurtled toward an uncertain future, it would take a new breed of hero to define the American Way. DC: The New Frontier takes readers on an epic journey from the end of the Golden Age of heroes to the beginnings of the legendary Justice League of America. Darwyn Cooke's most ambitious project yet features the stunning color art of Dave Stewart, an introduction by DC's President and Publisher Paul Levitz, and an afterword by Cooke.
In the 1950s, Cold War paranoia outlawed the Mystery Men of the Golden Age. Stalwarts such as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman continued to fight for truth and justice, but as the world hurtled toward an uncertain future, it would take a new breed of hero to define the American Way. DC: The New Frontier takes readers on an epic journey from the end of the Golden Age of heroes to the beginnings of the legendary Justice League of America. Darwyn Cooke's most ambitious project yet features the stunning color art of Dave Stewart, an introduction by DC's President and Publisher Paul Levitz, and an afterword by Cooke.
499 pages, ebook
First published October 4, 2006
200 people are currently reading
2210 people want to read
About the author
Darwyn Cooke
246 books357 followersDarwyn Cooke was an Eisner Award winning comic book writer, artist, cartoonist and animator, best known for his work on the comic books Catwoman, DC: The New Frontier and Will Eisner's The Spirit.
In 1985, Cooke published his first comic book work as a professional artist in a short story in New Talent Showcase #19, but economic pressure made him leave the career and he worked in Canada as a magazine art director, graphic and product designer for the next 15 years.
In the early 1990s Cooke decided to return to comics, but found little interest for his work at the major publishers. Eventually he was hired by Warner Bros. Animation after replying to an ad placed by animator Bruce Timm.
He went on to work as a storyboard artist for Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, and in 1999 he animated the main title design for Batman Beyond. He then worked as a director for Sony Animation's Men in Black: The Series for a year.
DC Comics then approached Cooke about a project which he had submitted to the publisher years earlier which eventually became Batman: Ego, a graphic novel published in 2000.
The critical success of that project led to Cooke taking on more freelance work, such as X-Force, Wolverine/Doop and Spider-Man's Tangled Web for Marvel Comics and Just Imagine... Stan Lee for DC.
In 2001, Cooke and writer Ed Brubaker teamed up to revamp the Catwoman character. They started with a 4 issue serial "Trail of the Catwoman" in Detective Comics #759-762 in which private detective Slam Bradley attempts to investigate the death of Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman).
The story led into a new Catwoman title in late 2001 by Brubaker and Cooke, in which the character's costume, supporting cast and modus operandi were all redesigned and redeveloped. Cooke would stay on the series, which was met with critical and fan acclaim, up until issue #4. In 2002 he would write and draw a prequel, the Selina's Big Score graphic novel which detailed what had happened to the character directly before her new series.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cooke's next project was the ambitious DC: The New Frontier (2004), a six issue miniseries which sought to tell an epic storyline bridging the gap between the end of the golden and the start of the silver age of comic books in the DC Universe. The story, which was set in the 1950s, featured dozens of super-hero characters and drew inspiration from the comic books and movies of the period as well as from Tom Wolfe's non-fiction account of the start of the US Space Program The Right Stuff. The major DC characters are introduced in "The New Frontier" in the same order that DC originally published them, even down to the correct month and year in the story's timeline. In 2005, Cooke won an Eisner Award for "Best Limited Series", and a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on the series.
Most recently, Cooke contributed to DC's artist-centric anthology project Solo. His issue (#5, June, 2005) featured several different stories in different styles with a framing sequence featuring the Slam Bradley character. In 2006, Solo #5 won an Eisner Award for "Best Single Issue."
In July 2005, it was announced that in 2006 Cooke and writer Jeph Loeb would produce a Batman/Spirit crossover, to be followed shortly afterwards by an ongoing Spirit series written and drawn by Cooke. Batman/The Spirit was ultimately published in November 2006, followed in December by the first issue of Cooke's The Spirit. In June 2007, Cooke and J. Bone won a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artists" for their work on "Batman/The Spirit", and Cooke won "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on "The Spirit".
In July 2006, it was announced that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics would release a series of direct-to-DVD animated movies based on important DC com
In 1985, Cooke published his first comic book work as a professional artist in a short story in New Talent Showcase #19, but economic pressure made him leave the career and he worked in Canada as a magazine art director, graphic and product designer for the next 15 years.
In the early 1990s Cooke decided to return to comics, but found little interest for his work at the major publishers. Eventually he was hired by Warner Bros. Animation after replying to an ad placed by animator Bruce Timm.
He went on to work as a storyboard artist for Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, and in 1999 he animated the main title design for Batman Beyond. He then worked as a director for Sony Animation's Men in Black: The Series for a year.
DC Comics then approached Cooke about a project which he had submitted to the publisher years earlier which eventually became Batman: Ego, a graphic novel published in 2000.
The critical success of that project led to Cooke taking on more freelance work, such as X-Force, Wolverine/Doop and Spider-Man's Tangled Web for Marvel Comics and Just Imagine... Stan Lee for DC.
In 2001, Cooke and writer Ed Brubaker teamed up to revamp the Catwoman character. They started with a 4 issue serial "Trail of the Catwoman" in Detective Comics #759-762 in which private detective Slam Bradley attempts to investigate the death of Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman).
The story led into a new Catwoman title in late 2001 by Brubaker and Cooke, in which the character's costume, supporting cast and modus operandi were all redesigned and redeveloped. Cooke would stay on the series, which was met with critical and fan acclaim, up until issue #4. In 2002 he would write and draw a prequel, the Selina's Big Score graphic novel which detailed what had happened to the character directly before her new series.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cooke's next project was the ambitious DC: The New Frontier (2004), a six issue miniseries which sought to tell an epic storyline bridging the gap between the end of the golden and the start of the silver age of comic books in the DC Universe. The story, which was set in the 1950s, featured dozens of super-hero characters and drew inspiration from the comic books and movies of the period as well as from Tom Wolfe's non-fiction account of the start of the US Space Program The Right Stuff. The major DC characters are introduced in "The New Frontier" in the same order that DC originally published them, even down to the correct month and year in the story's timeline. In 2005, Cooke won an Eisner Award for "Best Limited Series", and a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on the series.
Most recently, Cooke contributed to DC's artist-centric anthology project Solo. His issue (#5, June, 2005) featured several different stories in different styles with a framing sequence featuring the Slam Bradley character. In 2006, Solo #5 won an Eisner Award for "Best Single Issue."
In July 2005, it was announced that in 2006 Cooke and writer Jeph Loeb would produce a Batman/Spirit crossover, to be followed shortly afterwards by an ongoing Spirit series written and drawn by Cooke. Batman/The Spirit was ultimately published in November 2006, followed in December by the first issue of Cooke's The Spirit. In June 2007, Cooke and J. Bone won a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artists" for their work on "Batman/The Spirit", and Cooke won "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on "The Spirit".
In July 2006, it was announced that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics would release a series of direct-to-DVD animated movies based on important DC com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 562 reviews
June 5, 2018
Look, I’m a nigh-40-year-old man who reads superhero comics. (How nigh, you ask? T-minus 7 months and counting, so please get your grim reaper cakes and hilarious “over the hill” cards (with a picture of a hill) ready now.) I also have a shirt that says “Dungeon Master” that I proudly wear (even if my wife refuses to be seen in public with me when I do). So, I get that I’m particularly awesome, and that my opinion on a book like this has to be taken with a fanboy grain of salt.
But, I’ve been reading superhero comics for 30 years now, and one of the main reasons I keep reading them, despite the absurdity of massive crossover events that constantly reboot continuity and set fire to every single writer’s attempt to do anything in the way of characterization (looking at you, Marvel, even though I love you, for inflicting this, this, and this upon us), is to have that same feeling I had when I read my very first superhero comic (that would be the first issue of the Dark Phoenix Saga, incidentally): that there exists in the world a group of goodly people who will bravely battle the forces of evil no matter the odds, and they’ll do it not because they’re fearless, but because they are dedicated to defending those unable to defend themselves and will do so at any cost. And, ideally, they’ll do it with some clever banter and with visual panache.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a comic that hit that sweet spot like The New Frontier. Cinematic in scope (not surprising, given Cooke’s background as an animator), pitch perfect in tone, and clever in its reinterpretation of classic DC mythos, this masterclass in sequential storytelling is everything you want in a superhero comic: deep characterization, plot twists and turns, kinetic action, and heroes that are simultaneously down to earth and larger than life. I used to hold up JLA: Year One as the gold standard for DC origin stories; I think The New Frontier is the new gold standard.
The world can seem very dark these days, and we need all the points of light we can get. This is one of those points of light. If you’re a comic fan, or even if you’re not, do yourself a favor and add this to your reading list. You’ll thank me. Or maybe ask to borrow my Dungeon Master t-shirt. Or give you lessons in how to be awesome. Or maybe teach you how to shimmy, because nothing says “for a good time” like these A-minus cups slinging from side to side. I’m happy to do all of the above.
But, I’ve been reading superhero comics for 30 years now, and one of the main reasons I keep reading them, despite the absurdity of massive crossover events that constantly reboot continuity and set fire to every single writer’s attempt to do anything in the way of characterization (looking at you, Marvel, even though I love you, for inflicting this, this, and this upon us), is to have that same feeling I had when I read my very first superhero comic (that would be the first issue of the Dark Phoenix Saga, incidentally): that there exists in the world a group of goodly people who will bravely battle the forces of evil no matter the odds, and they’ll do it not because they’re fearless, but because they are dedicated to defending those unable to defend themselves and will do so at any cost. And, ideally, they’ll do it with some clever banter and with visual panache.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a comic that hit that sweet spot like The New Frontier. Cinematic in scope (not surprising, given Cooke’s background as an animator), pitch perfect in tone, and clever in its reinterpretation of classic DC mythos, this masterclass in sequential storytelling is everything you want in a superhero comic: deep characterization, plot twists and turns, kinetic action, and heroes that are simultaneously down to earth and larger than life. I used to hold up JLA: Year One as the gold standard for DC origin stories; I think The New Frontier is the new gold standard.
The world can seem very dark these days, and we need all the points of light we can get. This is one of those points of light. If you’re a comic fan, or even if you’re not, do yourself a favor and add this to your reading list. You’ll thank me. Or maybe ask to borrow my Dungeon Master t-shirt. Or give you lessons in how to be awesome. Or maybe teach you how to shimmy, because nothing says “for a good time” like these A-minus cups slinging from side to side. I’m happy to do all of the above.
April 23, 2023
Eisner, Harvey and Schuster Award winning limited series. On so many levels a great series, from linking Golden and Silver Age heroes; mostly set in the paranoid anti-Communist USA of the 1950s; including the 1960s Civil Rights cause; incorporating McCarthy's witch hunts; and like Dark Knight, having a great Batman V Superman confrontation. The beauty of incorporating so many origins in the storyline is superb. An absolute must read for superhero book lovers. 9 out of 12 Four Stars.
2013 read
2013 read
July 15, 2016
An alien menace threatens the earth in the late 1950's and it'll take every hero humanity has to stop it.
Confession time: While I'd heard of The New Frontier, I didn't pick it up until after Darwyn Cooke's death. Now that I've read it, I wish I'd picked it up sooner.
The New Frontier is the story of the transition of the DC universe from the Justice Society era through the 1950s to the formation of the Justice League. Pretty much every DC character from pre-1960 is in it. Unlike how things originally went down, The New Frontier links characters from DC's war comics, their supernatural comics, and their super hero comics.
I knew this was going to be something different when the first few pages had The Losers fighting dinosaurs. The story is pretty much a love letter to the DC comics of the late 1950s. In addition to old favorites like the Justice League, some without their powers for most of the book, Darwyn Cooke dug up King Faraday, Slam Bradley, the Challengers of the Unknown, Adam Strange, and many others.
Rick Flag and Task Force X, aka The Suicide Squad, played a prominent part in safeguarding America once the Justice League went into retirement. I loved seeing a pre-Green Lantern Hal Jordan paling around with Rick Flagg and Ace Morgan. The early days of J'Onn J'Onnz, aka the Martian Manhunter, were really cool as well.
I thought it was great that Darwyn Cooke didn't focus on the icons like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, instead giving a lot of time to Hal Jordan and the Challengers of the Unknown. The Flash and Green Arrow could have had more to do but Cooke only had so much room to tell his tale.
While the story was great, I loved the art. Cooke's retro style did a good job of evoking the 1950s period it was depicting. It was Silver Age with a modern touch and quite something to behold. I'll definitely be tracking down more of his work.
I could gush about this book all day. Instead of talking about Kingdom Come with reverence, this is the DC book people should be holding on a pedestal. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Confession time: While I'd heard of The New Frontier, I didn't pick it up until after Darwyn Cooke's death. Now that I've read it, I wish I'd picked it up sooner.
The New Frontier is the story of the transition of the DC universe from the Justice Society era through the 1950s to the formation of the Justice League. Pretty much every DC character from pre-1960 is in it. Unlike how things originally went down, The New Frontier links characters from DC's war comics, their supernatural comics, and their super hero comics.
I knew this was going to be something different when the first few pages had The Losers fighting dinosaurs. The story is pretty much a love letter to the DC comics of the late 1950s. In addition to old favorites like the Justice League, some without their powers for most of the book, Darwyn Cooke dug up King Faraday, Slam Bradley, the Challengers of the Unknown, Adam Strange, and many others.
Rick Flag and Task Force X, aka The Suicide Squad, played a prominent part in safeguarding America once the Justice League went into retirement. I loved seeing a pre-Green Lantern Hal Jordan paling around with Rick Flagg and Ace Morgan. The early days of J'Onn J'Onnz, aka the Martian Manhunter, were really cool as well.
I thought it was great that Darwyn Cooke didn't focus on the icons like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, instead giving a lot of time to Hal Jordan and the Challengers of the Unknown. The Flash and Green Arrow could have had more to do but Cooke only had so much room to tell his tale.
While the story was great, I loved the art. Cooke's retro style did a good job of evoking the 1950s period it was depicting. It was Silver Age with a modern touch and quite something to behold. I'll definitely be tracking down more of his work.
I could gush about this book all day. Instead of talking about Kingdom Come with reverence, this is the DC book people should be holding on a pedestal. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
January 22, 2023
5.2/10
I expected something a bit different. Maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t care much about what I was reading. At least 60% of this is about Hal Jordan and some other characters ( like Colonel Flag ) that I don’t really know or care about. Their stories were the least interesting so after I got to the middle, I forced myself to go through the entire thing. I simply got tired and didn’t care whatsoever about what is going to happen. I wish we could see more of the other superheroes.
There are some good things going on, but like i said you don't get enough of them. The art is exceptional and that's what saved the book for me. Honestly without this art this is a 2 star book for me.
I expected something a bit different. Maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t care much about what I was reading. At least 60% of this is about Hal Jordan and some other characters ( like Colonel Flag ) that I don’t really know or care about. Their stories were the least interesting so after I got to the middle, I forced myself to go through the entire thing. I simply got tired and didn’t care whatsoever about what is going to happen. I wish we could see more of the other superheroes.
There are some good things going on, but like i said you don't get enough of them. The art is exceptional and that's what saved the book for me. Honestly without this art this is a 2 star book for me.
February 8, 2025
By grounding the DC heroes in a particular time and place (1945-1960) we are able to look at the problems such heroes would have to deal with had they influenced America during this critical 15 year period. The attention to detail is amazing, the art is 'retroish' and really adds to the story. RIP Darwyn Cooke, we miss you.
September 22, 2016
DC: The New Frontier was a comic that has long been on my to-read list, but for some reason always slipped out of my stack when I came around to the counter at the comic shop. The lads at the counter were surprised I hadn't read it, and with good reason. The late Darwin Cooke's miniseries is lauded as a modern retelling of the Gold to Silver Age transition that is filled to the brim with nostalgic punch. For a comic junkie like myself, it finally seemed like it was time to take the series down with an economically priced Paperback edition.
The Art: 4.5 Stars
I wanted to open with a chat about Cooke's art. Earlier this year the comic industry mourned his sudden passing, but I was only familiar with the first volume of his Parker graphic novel adaptations. Luckily, I was not let down by the art of DC: The New Frontier.
Cooke's cartooning style harkens back to the 1950s in which this series is set. He's able to use a style that reminded me of a Disney movie brought to the comic's page, while simultaneously making his art gritty when necessary, or realistic in depiction of character's physiques. Cooke's depiction of the 1950s world is also splendid. He was just at home drawing an airforce hanger as he was a lounge, or a Kirby-esque psychedelic romp towards the book's end.
Though this isn't the pulse-pounding super heroic action romp that I expected, Cooke also has a great approach to action and conveys motion with the greatest of ease. My sole complaint: there were times where I wasn't certain which character I was looking at. Some of the talking heads in the story shared too many similarities to be easily distinguished. It's a bit of a shame since it had me scratching my head, or flipping back a few pages to grab hold of the story's early presentation of a character. This is less of a concern in the later chapters when everyone is garbed in spandex, but made the first half of the book a challenge.
The Story 3 Stars
I was less hot on the story, but I have to say that I have immense respect for it.
There's so many superhero comics that are bogged down by continuity, or that necessitate tie-ins, that they are unable to deliver their own message, or provide a concise, self-contained story. Don't get me wrong: I love that stuff! But I also love when you can pick up one or two books and have an entire story contained within its pages. DC: The New Frontier is able to both be a self-contained story that pays tribute to continuity without being bogged down by it.
Following WWII, the Golden Age heroes have been outlawed as vigilantes and the government sees little need for the intervention of masked men and women. The only active heroes are Superman and Wonder Woman fighting in Korean, and Batman in Gotham (because, well, who's gonna stop Batman?). Cooke uses societal upheaval related to the Civil Rights Movement and the Korean War to provide a fertile ground for the emergence of the Silver Age heroes. It is a smart tale that is able to drive home the sense of hope and prosperity that the Silver Age heroes embodied while simultaneously reflecting on the events of a post-WWII world.
BUT THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH GOING ON.
I got the feeling that Cooke didn't know exactly the story he wanted to tell. Other than the Trinity, there aren't really any superheroes until the mid-way point. For the most part, I'm okay with that! I enjoyed the opening with the Losers, and Hal Jordan's story that provides the backbone of the entire series is well done, but there's a ton of stuff that is just so-so that makes the story feel more unsure of its identity than I had expected.
In the back matter of the book Cooke says that he much preferred drawing the real-life people than the folks in capes. A fair enough statement, but the story reflects that preference in such a way that I wondered if Cooke shouldn't have written one superhero series, and another with regular folk in the DC universe. It isn't that one is better than the other, it is just that more time is spent getting the heroes to their heroic roles than I thought was necessary.
Also, the big-bad of the entire series, other than being an interesting creature to look at, felt like absolutely every blockbuster monster movie of the past 5 years. Alien-things trying to wipe out all of humanity with requisite destruction porn is an act with which I feel over-saturated.
But I've said a lot of bad things while ignoring the good. Hal Jordan's development to Green Lantern is endearing, John Henry's story hits home, and Wonder Woman is in proper form in this comic.
Overall Impression
This is a really fun comic. I may not have thought it was well-balanced and my expectations were for a sprawling super heroic epic. DC: The New Frontier is not that, but a book that attempts to capture a feeling, and the tone of an era of comics. In fact, had there been no heroes and just regular folk, I think I would have enjoyed this more. I'd recommend this one for the art alone, but I imagine a great many of you will enjoy the story a lot more than I did. There's a lot of cheesy parts, and a heavily populated, busy story going on, but there's also a lot to appreciate.
The Art: 4.5 Stars
I wanted to open with a chat about Cooke's art. Earlier this year the comic industry mourned his sudden passing, but I was only familiar with the first volume of his Parker graphic novel adaptations. Luckily, I was not let down by the art of DC: The New Frontier.
Cooke's cartooning style harkens back to the 1950s in which this series is set. He's able to use a style that reminded me of a Disney movie brought to the comic's page, while simultaneously making his art gritty when necessary, or realistic in depiction of character's physiques. Cooke's depiction of the 1950s world is also splendid. He was just at home drawing an airforce hanger as he was a lounge, or a Kirby-esque psychedelic romp towards the book's end.
Though this isn't the pulse-pounding super heroic action romp that I expected, Cooke also has a great approach to action and conveys motion with the greatest of ease. My sole complaint: there were times where I wasn't certain which character I was looking at. Some of the talking heads in the story shared too many similarities to be easily distinguished. It's a bit of a shame since it had me scratching my head, or flipping back a few pages to grab hold of the story's early presentation of a character. This is less of a concern in the later chapters when everyone is garbed in spandex, but made the first half of the book a challenge.
The Story 3 Stars
I was less hot on the story, but I have to say that I have immense respect for it.
There's so many superhero comics that are bogged down by continuity, or that necessitate tie-ins, that they are unable to deliver their own message, or provide a concise, self-contained story. Don't get me wrong: I love that stuff! But I also love when you can pick up one or two books and have an entire story contained within its pages. DC: The New Frontier is able to both be a self-contained story that pays tribute to continuity without being bogged down by it.
Following WWII, the Golden Age heroes have been outlawed as vigilantes and the government sees little need for the intervention of masked men and women. The only active heroes are Superman and Wonder Woman fighting in Korean, and Batman in Gotham (because, well, who's gonna stop Batman?). Cooke uses societal upheaval related to the Civil Rights Movement and the Korean War to provide a fertile ground for the emergence of the Silver Age heroes. It is a smart tale that is able to drive home the sense of hope and prosperity that the Silver Age heroes embodied while simultaneously reflecting on the events of a post-WWII world.
BUT THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH GOING ON.
I got the feeling that Cooke didn't know exactly the story he wanted to tell. Other than the Trinity, there aren't really any superheroes until the mid-way point. For the most part, I'm okay with that! I enjoyed the opening with the Losers, and Hal Jordan's story that provides the backbone of the entire series is well done, but there's a ton of stuff that is just so-so that makes the story feel more unsure of its identity than I had expected.
In the back matter of the book Cooke says that he much preferred drawing the real-life people than the folks in capes. A fair enough statement, but the story reflects that preference in such a way that I wondered if Cooke shouldn't have written one superhero series, and another with regular folk in the DC universe. It isn't that one is better than the other, it is just that more time is spent getting the heroes to their heroic roles than I thought was necessary.
Also, the big-bad of the entire series, other than being an interesting creature to look at, felt like absolutely every blockbuster monster movie of the past 5 years. Alien-things trying to wipe out all of humanity with requisite destruction porn is an act with which I feel over-saturated.
But I've said a lot of bad things while ignoring the good. Hal Jordan's development to Green Lantern is endearing, John Henry's story hits home, and Wonder Woman is in proper form in this comic.
Overall Impression
This is a really fun comic. I may not have thought it was well-balanced and my expectations were for a sprawling super heroic epic. DC: The New Frontier is not that, but a book that attempts to capture a feeling, and the tone of an era of comics. In fact, had there been no heroes and just regular folk, I think I would have enjoyed this more. I'd recommend this one for the art alone, but I imagine a great many of you will enjoy the story a lot more than I did. There's a lot of cheesy parts, and a heavily populated, busy story going on, but there's also a lot to appreciate.
January 22, 2023
UNPOPULAR OPINION WARNING. The New Frontier is a long, slow and rather jumbled story that suffers from poor pacing and the lack of a precise narrative. It focuses heavily on Hal Jordan and the army which, for me, were the most boring parts of the book. At times, they use army lingo that I didn't understand, and at a certain point, I gave up looking up what things mean because it took me out of the overall experience, and I simply skated over the panels; an absolute chore. Every other character seems to get a more interesting storyline, yet they don't have nearly the same amount of time to be fleshed out and explored. Martian Manhunter's parts in particular shine amongst the rough of the rest. Radiating along with J'onn's arc is the art. If there's anything that can salvage this, it's the wonderful visual presentation. About 200 pages too long, I'll be giving it another crack once I've watched the film and see if my opinion changes.
December 18, 2025
It's been noted that it seems we can't escape the legacy of Alan Moore and his more cynical, deconstructive take on superheroes. Either everyone's trying to replicate the success of Watchmen, or trying to move away from it to varying levels of success.
Certainly, there have been attempts to invert Moore's approach too and some of them have proven to be interesting. Grant Morrison's All Star Superman brings his signature wild imagination to the center, while also giving a heartfelt love letter to The Man of Steel, Kurt Busiek's Marvels, as well as its spiritual successor Kingdom Come from Mark Waid, are nostalgic, yet mournful lamentations of a bygone era, or Robert Kirkman's Invincible, which is a much more snarky deconstruction of superhero tropes, yet with a loving, nostalgic lens to it. We've even seen alternate superhero tales go their own path, without a big message to get across such as Lemire's excellent Black Hammer series, which takes a much more down to earth, emotional tone than some of the others that I mention.
Yet I find that all of those stories are flawed in the same reason: that they never go far enough in their commentary and references. Certainly while I liked what those guys did with their respective books, I couldn't see how their own insights and commentary could match up to Moore's Watchmen, and how could they? Watchmen was revolutionary not just because it asked what superheroes would be like in the real world, but because it completely dismantled the myth around superheroes, and much of the last 30 years have been spent trying to come up with something that might dare rival Moore's magnum opus...and with DC: The New Frontier, we might have it.
Cooke makes his love for the Silver Age of American comics infectiously clear, yet he manages to distinguish himself from some of the other reconstructive superhero writers. He is not as madcap as Morrison, nor as mournful as Busiek and Waid, or as snarky as Kirkman. His writing is nostalgic and hopeful, but isn't overtly optimistic or naive. Much of Cooke's hopeful outlook is demonstrated time and time again by the genuine attempts of heroism by the characters of the story, as well as humanity's capacity to come together in a crisis
Much like Busiek, Cooke is self aware and ironic, yet he is never cynical in his approach. He is not afraid to tackle issues such as Cold War paranoia, political grandstanding, xenophobia, and racist Jim Crow America that lurked in the underbelly of 1950's America, and Cooke never allows nostalgia to cloud his judgement. Some of the book's most poignant moments includes the explorations of these topics, particularly with the character of John Henry. Cooke's commentary is hard hitting, but also isn't entirely stooped in cynicism, but it shows that Darwyn's insight isn't clouded in nostalgia.
Yet Cooke doesn't just tribute Silver Age superhero comics, he also has nods to EC crime and war comics, weird science fiction comics as popularized by Jack Kirby, and even old gothic horror comics as done by EC (though without the violence). Much of the strongest aspects of New Frontier is its focus on lesser known DC characters like The Challengers of The Unknown, The Losers, and The Martian Manhunter. I was particularly impressed with Manhunter's arc throughout this story and how he comes to accept Earth and the people who live in it, and how people eventually grow to accept him as well.
Cooke's art is also skilled, deceptively so. Cooke's style might be cartoon like and bouncy, but it also retains a very grounded feel. Then again, Cooke's style is very much informed by one of my favorite animators Bruce Timm, well known for creating some of the greatest cartoons that have ever involved DC characters such as Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, and Justice League: Unlimited. Timm's influence reigns strong throughout New Frontier, but Cooke also shows a practiced mastery of comic book art, creating dynamic imagery and using visual storytelling effectively throughout the story.
If Morrison has spent his entire career trying to be the anti-Alan Moore, then Cooke has already beaten him to the punch. Yet much like All Star Superman or Kingdom Come, The New Frontier reminds me why I love the DC universe to begin with. While it doesn't refute Moore's thesis, it offers the best counter balance to Moore's Watchmen that we're ever going to get. It is optimistic, reconstructionist storytelling done to a T.
Many people consider The New Frontier to be Cooke's magnum opus, and I can't say that I disagree with them. I'm only saddened that it took me this long to appreciate Cooke's talent and I'm even more saddened that he was taken from us so soon. Then again, I suppose it's rather fitting...only the best are taken from us too soon.
October 3, 2020
Only 3 stars u might ask? I love it for the beautiful artstyle and the intention which bordered on being nationalistic, but impressed me with huge ambition and effort.
Where it falls apart is the writing style. It got it right with the pacing / layout but it just grinded to a near halt with all the exposition in description boxes or unnecessary recaps that not only took away my enjoyment from the art and also had me scratching my head multiple times. It all came down to one rule that was ignored here “Show, don’t tell”.
I still liked it but the skill of the writer still ruined the experience for me to such an extent that I can hardly recommend it. 3.0 of 5.0 stars
Where it falls apart is the writing style. It got it right with the pacing / layout but it just grinded to a near halt with all the exposition in description boxes or unnecessary recaps that not only took away my enjoyment from the art and also had me scratching my head multiple times. It all came down to one rule that was ignored here “Show, don’t tell”.
I still liked it but the skill of the writer still ruined the experience for me to such an extent that I can hardly recommend it. 3.0 of 5.0 stars
May 10, 2018
For some reason, I have *never* heard anyone talk about this epic graphic novel-style DC story by Darwyn Cooke (who died two years ago this week). Not on any lists, referenced as inspiration, nothing. I randomly found the adapted feature length animated version of it in my library's catalog while searching for DC Lego DVDs. I checked it out on a whim and was blown away by the quality. I would put it up there with Batman: Under the Hood in my Top DCAU movies list. Finding the book itself proved to be more challenging, likely because of the luxurious printing and binding style, which means libraries have to pay more for it. After waiting for it to be shipped from some random library in rural Oklahoma that happens to own the largest Deluxe HC edition, the first thing I noticed was the extremely high quality paper and inks used. It feels good to turn the physical pages, and the way the light hits the colors from various angles strikes me as being much better than that used in most comic book trades and graphic novels.
The story itself is essentially a JLA origin story, which has been done countless times. The New Frontier is strikingly different, and ended up being one of the most riveting, best-told comic books I've read, especially within the DC universe.
Most striking is that the core JLA members serve more as supporting characters rather than being in the spotlight the whole time. In the annotations and afterword, Cooke explains that as a kid, he was never into superhero comics, but loved the war, Western, and mystery comic books. This explains why the majority of the story focuses on various obscure DC military figures who fought in the Korean War (which itself is often referred to as The Forgotten War, and is technically still going to this day, but agreements were finally made last month to work towards a resolution to the conflict).
The first 30 pages act as a prologue featuring The Losers, which Cooke explains was DC's lowest-selling, least-memorable wartime comic. There's a mist-covered, mysteriously hidden island in the center of the ocean that some G.I.s crash landed on while delivering a high-ranking former Nazi scientist to the Allies. Now a rescue team has been sent in, but they quickly get picked off by motherfucking DINOSAURS! In the afterword, Darwyn Cooke points out that it was intentional to make the first real hero in The New Frontier a Native American. I wondered about that, but find myself wishing there were much more inclusion of Native characters in superhero stories - *especially* every time we see Superman make a grand speech about fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way, and the "freedom for every man and woman to pursue their destiny." Like, come on, Supes, you don't know about the history of colonialism and genocide in America?!
I predicted that the Nazi scientist himself would be key in the plot, but that's not the case. The historical fiction elements are crucial in establishing the mood and progressing the story through various conflicts. A line from Yeats's most famous poem (The Second Coming), a children's author based on Dr. Seuss, and the mass paranoia and Red-jacketing during the McCarthy era are significant pieces in the story. Fear of communist influence in the U.S. has prompted a no-masks-allowed law akin to Marvel's Superhero Registration Act (aka The Sakovia Accords). The JSA (Justice Society of America, which predates the Justice League of America) has avoided having their identities revealed by disbanding. The only superheroes that are registered and sent out on government-sanctioned missions are Superman and Wonder Woman.
The two JLA characters that get the most page time and personal insight are Hal Jordan (obvi because he's an Air Force Top Gun type) and John Jones, which was the first human-passing alias taken on by Martian Manhunter, and is humorously inspired by detective shows on television. I've never been a big Green Lantern fan, but the character arc for Jordan becoming the first human to wield a power ring is fantastic. J'onn J'onzz has for many years been an underplayed character and, in my opinion, is fascinating, powerful, and thoughtful enough to warrant a much higher level of attention in both comics and adaptations into other media, so I was greatly pleased with his role in the book.
I'm not going to describe the plot anymore, but I highly recommend getting this book. It's an epic one, coming in at around 400 pages, with an additional hundred pages of bonus content worth going through. But as superhero stories written in chapters like this, New Frontier is much more readable than, say, Watchmen.
Speaking of Watchmen, the controversial Before Watchmen comics a few years back was one of the last major projects Darwyn Cooke was involved in before passing away. I have little interest in reading those, but now I'm eager to seek out more of the DCAU films and shows he wrote.
The story itself is essentially a JLA origin story, which has been done countless times. The New Frontier is strikingly different, and ended up being one of the most riveting, best-told comic books I've read, especially within the DC universe.
Most striking is that the core JLA members serve more as supporting characters rather than being in the spotlight the whole time. In the annotations and afterword, Cooke explains that as a kid, he was never into superhero comics, but loved the war, Western, and mystery comic books. This explains why the majority of the story focuses on various obscure DC military figures who fought in the Korean War (which itself is often referred to as The Forgotten War, and is technically still going to this day, but agreements were finally made last month to work towards a resolution to the conflict).
The first 30 pages act as a prologue featuring The Losers, which Cooke explains was DC's lowest-selling, least-memorable wartime comic. There's a mist-covered, mysteriously hidden island in the center of the ocean that some G.I.s crash landed on while delivering a high-ranking former Nazi scientist to the Allies. Now a rescue team has been sent in, but they quickly get picked off by motherfucking DINOSAURS! In the afterword, Darwyn Cooke points out that it was intentional to make the first real hero in The New Frontier a Native American. I wondered about that, but find myself wishing there were much more inclusion of Native characters in superhero stories - *especially* every time we see Superman make a grand speech about fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way, and the "freedom for every man and woman to pursue their destiny." Like, come on, Supes, you don't know about the history of colonialism and genocide in America?!
I predicted that the Nazi scientist himself would be key in the plot, but that's not the case. The historical fiction elements are crucial in establishing the mood and progressing the story through various conflicts. A line from Yeats's most famous poem (The Second Coming), a children's author based on Dr. Seuss, and the mass paranoia and Red-jacketing during the McCarthy era are significant pieces in the story. Fear of communist influence in the U.S. has prompted a no-masks-allowed law akin to Marvel's Superhero Registration Act (aka The Sakovia Accords). The JSA (Justice Society of America, which predates the Justice League of America) has avoided having their identities revealed by disbanding. The only superheroes that are registered and sent out on government-sanctioned missions are Superman and Wonder Woman.
The two JLA characters that get the most page time and personal insight are Hal Jordan (obvi because he's an Air Force Top Gun type) and John Jones, which was the first human-passing alias taken on by Martian Manhunter, and is humorously inspired by detective shows on television. I've never been a big Green Lantern fan, but the character arc for Jordan becoming the first human to wield a power ring is fantastic. J'onn J'onzz has for many years been an underplayed character and, in my opinion, is fascinating, powerful, and thoughtful enough to warrant a much higher level of attention in both comics and adaptations into other media, so I was greatly pleased with his role in the book.
I'm not going to describe the plot anymore, but I highly recommend getting this book. It's an epic one, coming in at around 400 pages, with an additional hundred pages of bonus content worth going through. But as superhero stories written in chapters like this, New Frontier is much more readable than, say, Watchmen.
Speaking of Watchmen, the controversial Before Watchmen comics a few years back was one of the last major projects Darwyn Cooke was involved in before passing away. I have little interest in reading those, but now I'm eager to seek out more of the DCAU films and shows he wrote.
November 6, 2015
I read this a few years ago, but it was digitally on my iPad. I was happy to see a new printing of the series in the deluxe format. It reads so much better in print. When I read it on my iPad, parts of it seemed to drag a little, but in print it flows much better. I think it's cause at times it can be a little dense with everything that's going on. But it is a good book that has a great take on the 50s/60s era. There's also some cool back matter, but this might have appeared in earlier editions like the Absolute. I'm not sure if there's anything exclusive to this deluxe edition.
May 6, 2025
Really enjoyed this one, the story here was interesting and when all the arcs culminated in the finale it was really cool. I loved seeing lots of different heroes and their origin retold in, essentially, a retelling of the origin of the justice league. The art here was beautiful too. On the other hand there was a lot going on and some of it didn’t seem necessary especially with the size of the book I would’ve liked this to be streamlined. So overall I had a very good time with this and once you get to the story it’s amazing.
October 15, 2022
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
Some stories need to be told despite being outside the canonical events set forth within a fictional universe. These stories have the liberty to explore ideas and themes outside those restricted by the ongoing story arcs. At DC Comics, it is a beloved, if not sometimes dreaded, practice to have writers and artists work on what-if stories for fans to quietly indulge away from any judgemental glare from comic book purists. While there’s no denying that more often than not, these stories have the unfortunate tendency to deliver appalling material that have you running back to canon content, there are some unique and creative stories that succeed in delivering the most unexpected and eye-opening stories in the comic book industry. Most of these stories tend to focus on a certain character and present a self-contained and compelling adventure, but one Eisner Award-winning writer-artist looked at things differently and looked to deliver an epic that reinvented a whole universe.
What is DC: The New Frontier about? Set in the 1960s America, in the midst of the Cold War and the rise of civil rights movements, the story presents an era in real-life history where masked mystery men who fought in the Second World War are to be outlawed. While iconic heroes such as Superman and Wonder Woman work undercover to assure the safety of the world, other heroes find themselves in hiding, abandoning their costumes, or lurking in the shadows looking to lend a hand to all those who serve justice. With a dangerous threat looming on the horizon, these heroes are, however, needed once again if humanity is ever to see another day again. Collecting the six-issues dual-volume comic book limited series, the legendary Canadian comic book writer and artist Darwyn Cooke presents a genre-defining tale where history meets superheroes.
Similar to writer Alan Moore’s Watchmen, without its nihilistic and vigilante-questioning tone, this story is constructed with a grounded approach where it seeks to integrate the DC Universe within an almost historically-accurate era of humankind. Inexplicably perfect, creator Darwyn Cooke reimagines a whole universe set in the 1950s and offers fans a beautiful story that bridges the gap between the Golden and Silver age of superhero comic books. Alternating between various points of view, he does an incrementally beautiful job in humanizing them and allowing them to grow into the heroes they were always meant to be. With characters and squads such as the Challengers of the Unknown, the Suicide Squad, Martian Manhunter, and Hal Jordan, amongst others, carrying this story from cover to cover, it is with sheer brilliance that Darwyn Cooke manages to set the world ablaze and present one of the greatest origin stories for the Justice League. Although it is hectic storywise, with no particular linearity in the chronology of events, and it does a clunky job in properly distributing attention on certain characters—you can tell that he has a certain affinity towards the Green Lantern—the story still grows on you with its characters, history, and themes.
To both write and illustrate this masterpiece is a challenge in itself that only Darwyn Cooke could’ve accomplished with such splendour. A good chunk of the story doesn’t necessarily put superheroes in the spotlight as war heroes obtain just as much respect throughout the graphic novel. How Darwyn Cooke cleverly embraces both the realistic and fantastical elements is what essentially makes this story outstanding. While there is a hefty dose of realism attributable to the narrative, he also incorporates plenty of quirky, zany, and crazy ingredients to make this a truly spectacular event. Amongst all the chaos that is teased into the story, dinosaurs remain the most entertaining. And so, through a cartoonish art style, Darwyn Cooke brings to life the impossible and does so in an incredibly cinematic fashion, through exceptional panel configurations (e.g. the three-panel widescreen pages) as well as epic sequences that merit its own wall in an art museum. The artistic touch that simply perfects this oeuvre also lies in Dave Stewart’s vibrant colouring and thick black contouring that turns this story into a bombastic, flashy, and sizzling adventure.
DC: The New Frontier is a visionary story blending superheroes into real-life history as it presents the unifying powers of humankind amidst a strange alien threat.
June 1, 2016
“If we’re talking about mainstream comics, I think there have been a lot of real tactical errors made in this century. I can’t really read superhero comics anymore because they’re not about superheroes. They’ve become so dark and violent and sexualized. I think it’s a real wrong turn. I don’t know how a company like Warner Bros. or Disney is able to rationalize characters raping and murdering and taking drugs and swearing and carrying on the way they do, and those same characters are on sheet sets for 5-year-olds, and pajamas and cartoons."
- Darwyn Cooke ( 1962-2016)
The recently deceased Darwyn Cooke was a unique voice in the modern comics landscape. Aided by his elegant retro style he always tried to get back to a more childfriendly way of telling superhero stories while maintaining the utmost respect for those characters' origin and meaning. DC: The New Frontier, a charming reimagining of the founding of the Justice League in the 1950's, is everything DC should aspire to be, but hasn't been for quite a while.
Such as it is, it is the perfect refreshing tonic to combat the current obsession with the dark, "edgy", tormented superbeing.
- Darwyn Cooke ( 1962-2016)
The recently deceased Darwyn Cooke was a unique voice in the modern comics landscape. Aided by his elegant retro style he always tried to get back to a more childfriendly way of telling superhero stories while maintaining the utmost respect for those characters' origin and meaning. DC: The New Frontier, a charming reimagining of the founding of the Justice League in the 1950's, is everything DC should aspire to be, but hasn't been for quite a while.
Such as it is, it is the perfect refreshing tonic to combat the current obsession with the dark, "edgy", tormented superbeing.
December 18, 2015
The New Frontier presents a refreshing and modern take on the superhero origin story. Darwyn Cooke foregoes the obvious route of updating the old stories by having them take place in the contemporary. The superheroes live in the World War Two and Cold War era, around the same time of the Golden Age of comics and when superheroes started appearing in comics. When thinking of modern interpretations, it has the connotations of somehow becoming darker, grittier (the lasting influence of Alan Moore). What Cooke has given us instead is a story of conflict and drama but, like the superheroes that star it, colorful and full of adventure.
Each of the stories perfectly distills the human story that made superheroes a forefront in popular culture. It's not just because they are cool but rather is they represent the archetype of humanity rising above the struggle, of bridging barriers between cultures, of fighting for your beliefs against the tide, of hoping for more in your life. These and more are what the superhero represents. Though such aspect is often underrepresented in other stories where it's enough to have that twist and big showdown in the end. Of course, the separate stories of Frontier eventually intertwine into the world-in-peril big battle ending. The big ending is the logical conclusion to the meeting of the personalities in the book. The journey meanwhile is fully-formed; with a sense of completion and at the same time of more, there are struggles still and life goes on for the Justice League.
A lot of the success of the books portrayal is due to the artwork. It perfectly captures the sense of hope and light that the superheroes represent in a dark time.
Each of the stories perfectly distills the human story that made superheroes a forefront in popular culture. It's not just because they are cool but rather is they represent the archetype of humanity rising above the struggle, of bridging barriers between cultures, of fighting for your beliefs against the tide, of hoping for more in your life. These and more are what the superhero represents. Though such aspect is often underrepresented in other stories where it's enough to have that twist and big showdown in the end. Of course, the separate stories of Frontier eventually intertwine into the world-in-peril big battle ending. The big ending is the logical conclusion to the meeting of the personalities in the book. The journey meanwhile is fully-formed; with a sense of completion and at the same time of more, there are struggles still and life goes on for the Justice League.
A lot of the success of the books portrayal is due to the artwork. It perfectly captures the sense of hope and light that the superheroes represent in a dark time.
September 6, 2016
4 3/4 stars
March 11, 2025
I recall reading The New Frontier way back in the aughts, one of my first ventures into comic books. I was floored by the complexity of the storytelling, like nothing I'd experienced before in my limited comic reading. And the art! Truly, I thought Darwyn Cooke could do no wrong.
That's probably still true of Cooke, but I have to say, after finally re-reading The New Frontier almost twenty years later... well, let's just say a lot of other very skilled authors have done very cool things with DC superheroes since The New Frontier was first published. Tom King, for example, sorta puts this book to shame with most of his output.
Still, still, The New Frontier is a fascinating long-form re-introduction to our favorite heroes with stunning mid-century vibes and a villain straight out of schlocky 50s sci-fi movies (in a good way). Solid stuff, overall, but not without its flaws. The storytelling flow is very mixed, with lots of introductory material being thrown at you before the actual plot engages midway through. Cooke includes in a number of deep cuts that assume robust knowledge of ancient DC war comics that haven't been published for 50 years. (And those soldier heroes certainly do blend together over the course of the book.)
By the finale, though, I was thoroughly wrapped up in the "only together can we save the world" energy. The New Frontier ends much stronger than it begins. And, if you get the big collected edition, you're served up some fascinating endnotes that help explain where Cooke got his material.
That's probably still true of Cooke, but I have to say, after finally re-reading The New Frontier almost twenty years later... well, let's just say a lot of other very skilled authors have done very cool things with DC superheroes since The New Frontier was first published. Tom King, for example, sorta puts this book to shame with most of his output.
Still, still, The New Frontier is a fascinating long-form re-introduction to our favorite heroes with stunning mid-century vibes and a villain straight out of schlocky 50s sci-fi movies (in a good way). Solid stuff, overall, but not without its flaws. The storytelling flow is very mixed, with lots of introductory material being thrown at you before the actual plot engages midway through. Cooke includes in a number of deep cuts that assume robust knowledge of ancient DC war comics that haven't been published for 50 years. (And those soldier heroes certainly do blend together over the course of the book.)
By the finale, though, I was thoroughly wrapped up in the "only together can we save the world" energy. The New Frontier ends much stronger than it begins. And, if you get the big collected edition, you're served up some fascinating endnotes that help explain where Cooke got his material.
March 8, 2015
This is an amazing book! It is a nice chunky hardcover filled with some of the best comic art I've ever seen. The basic idea of the story is that World War II has ended, and with the exception of Superman and Wonder Woman, who work with the government, and Batman, who works undercover, the golden age heroes are forced to retire. Unfortunately, new forces of evil are gathering which will require a new age of heroes to begin. This is the story of the rise of the silver age. This book does a good job of mixing history with the famous and obscure characters of the silver age. One thing that I really enjoy is that the happy and optimistic tone of the age is well-presented, which is really refreshing after reading about 30 years worth of grim and gritty comics. While the optimism of the silver age is maintained, the goofiness is not, so the optimism seems realistic. I also appreciate that while it is an optimistic book, it does not gloss over the negative aspects of the age such as war in Indochina, racial segregation, lynchings, and government programs to develop secret weapons that could destroy the world. Finally, I like that despite the political differences of the characters, they are able to come together as Americans to fight a common enemy. That's something we need more of in this cynical age.
A great bonus at the end of the book is a sketchbook section with lots of character designs. You also get a commentary by Darwyn Cooke, so you can understand some of the more obscure references that he uses. Overall, this is an amazing book and every superhero comic book lover should have a copy of this in their library.
A great bonus at the end of the book is a sketchbook section with lots of character designs. You also get a commentary by Darwyn Cooke, so you can understand some of the more obscure references that he uses. Overall, this is an amazing book and every superhero comic book lover should have a copy of this in their library.
February 19, 2015
I had originally read this a few years ago as well as watching the animated film, but this new hardcover collection was too good to pass up. Darwyn Cooke does an excellent job of pulling everything from the various nooks and crannies of DC's Silver Age into an origin story that perfectly captures both the period and the superheroes involved. But the real star of this collection is Cooke's art. This just may be my favorite art for any comic I have ever read. The supplemental material in this deluxe edition provides a new story as well as giving great insight into the various characters, real people/events, and stories used to create this comic. This commentary is a great resource for those curious about the characters they didn't recognize. A must read comic for anyone who loves superheroes.
September 15, 2012
Cooke is one of my favorite comic book artists; he's got a gorgeous retro style that perfectly captures the time period depicted in this book--the 1940s & 1950s. The story covers the "changing of the guard" as heroes of the JSA made way for those of the JLA. In this sweeping adventure, however, we see them all pull together to stop a force that threatens to destroy the world (well, what else would they join forces for?). Cooke's writing is every bit as sharp as his line.
April 24, 2021
Hard to rate this. Story is good and the art is amazing. But there is a huge amount of characters, lots of American slang and the story jumps around a lot. Sometimes switching after only a single panel or a few times on one page.
Still despite the number of characters each of them does get a lot of background and story. And the finale is great.
3.5 stars, going down to 3 cause I expected more.
Still despite the number of characters each of them does get a lot of background and story. And the finale is great.
3.5 stars, going down to 3 cause I expected more.
July 27, 2015
The next time DC tries to decide what new direction to head in, they should remember how awesome New Frontier was and ask Darwyn Cooke for some advice.
December 1, 2021
DC: The New Frontier covers a lot of the same ground as prior acclaimed superhero comics. Like Marvels, it takes events from a convoluted comic book continuity and puts them into a coherent chronology, tied to the period in which the stories were originally published. Like Watchmen, it considers how superheroes would relate to real-world social ills and historical events. Also like Watchmen – as well as the likes of The Dark Knight Returns, Kingdom Come and Superman: Secret Identity – it explores government attempts to co-opt, control, regulate or ban superhero activity.
However, despite treading familiar territory, this comic feels surprisingly fresh. It does a commendable job of combining unabashed love of superheroes (à la Marvels) with some frank deconstruction (à la Watchmen). The plot’s climax isn’t anything groundbreaking (superheroes join forces against an apocalyptic threat), but the build-up is consistently engaging. Impressively, this comic succeeds in getting me invested in a bunch of characters in whom I previously had zero interest – Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, The Flash, and a host of military men I’d never heard of before. I have little idea of what’s taken straight from DC canon, and what Darwyn Cooke invented himself, but he weaves all of the elements into a satisfyingly cohesive whole. The story of Martian Manhunter – an alien stranded on earth, who applies his superhuman powers to detective work – is particularly compelling. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the comic is the way it roots everything firmly in a historical context – 1950s USA – tackling racism and the Cold War in a way that never feels too on-the-nose.
Politically speaking, I can’t say I’m completely on board with everything Cooke appears to be saying through this comic – particularly the way that he casts opposition to vigilantism as part of oppressive McCarthyism. The tone is also a bit too patriotic and US-centred for my taste – there are a number of instances where characters talk about “America” and “Americans” where they could have said “the world” or “humans” – but maybe that’s a deliberate choice to accurately represent 1950s values and discourse. In any case, I don’t generally read superhero comics for their ideological content, and there’s nothing too egregious – it pointedly doesn’t overindulge in nostalgia for the period. My only real complaint of The New Frontier is the large number of characters, many of whom look very similar (chiselled white men), which does make the story a little hard to follow at times.
Overall, though, this is a fun, well written superhero comic: it condenses what the genre’s about into a streamlined, coherent work that I think is fairly accessible to people who aren’t fully invested in the world. On top of that, it boasts lovely, clean, unashamedly cartoony art, somewhat reminiscent of the Saturday morning cartoons of my childhood. I’m glad I read it!
However, despite treading familiar territory, this comic feels surprisingly fresh. It does a commendable job of combining unabashed love of superheroes (à la Marvels) with some frank deconstruction (à la Watchmen). The plot’s climax isn’t anything groundbreaking (superheroes join forces against an apocalyptic threat), but the build-up is consistently engaging. Impressively, this comic succeeds in getting me invested in a bunch of characters in whom I previously had zero interest – Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, The Flash, and a host of military men I’d never heard of before. I have little idea of what’s taken straight from DC canon, and what Darwyn Cooke invented himself, but he weaves all of the elements into a satisfyingly cohesive whole. The story of Martian Manhunter – an alien stranded on earth, who applies his superhuman powers to detective work – is particularly compelling. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the comic is the way it roots everything firmly in a historical context – 1950s USA – tackling racism and the Cold War in a way that never feels too on-the-nose.
Politically speaking, I can’t say I’m completely on board with everything Cooke appears to be saying through this comic – particularly the way that he casts opposition to vigilantism as part of oppressive McCarthyism. The tone is also a bit too patriotic and US-centred for my taste – there are a number of instances where characters talk about “America” and “Americans” where they could have said “the world” or “humans” – but maybe that’s a deliberate choice to accurately represent 1950s values and discourse. In any case, I don’t generally read superhero comics for their ideological content, and there’s nothing too egregious – it pointedly doesn’t overindulge in nostalgia for the period. My only real complaint of The New Frontier is the large number of characters, many of whom look very similar (chiselled white men), which does make the story a little hard to follow at times.
Overall, though, this is a fun, well written superhero comic: it condenses what the genre’s about into a streamlined, coherent work that I think is fairly accessible to people who aren’t fully invested in the world. On top of that, it boasts lovely, clean, unashamedly cartoony art, somewhat reminiscent of the Saturday morning cartoons of my childhood. I’m glad I read it!
August 13, 2015
A tour de force is world building.
I'm too young to remember the Golden Age and Silver Age of comics. When I started reading DC it was already in the Modern Age and I was already bogged down by the weight of 60+ years of canon. I know the history, I know how DC wanted to reinvent their Golden Age heroes for another generation, a reboot as it were, a freeing of their heroes from the constraints of canon. Well here is the accepted retcon of how the Silver Age came to be!
World: Darwyn Cooke's art is in a class all it's own. The line work, the framing, the designs all are stunningly beautiful. With New Frontier Darwyn had the entire DC canvas to play with and man is the art incredible. But it's not just the art that is amazing, the fact that he needed to world build essentially all of the DCU anew was an amazing feat. To create an origin story for not only the JLA, JSA, Suicide Squad, Blackhawks...the list goes on and on, this is a master class of world building and those who love to read origin stories will be treated to awesomeness.
Story: Huge in scope, flawless in pacing and simply in execution. As I said above, Cooke had the entire pantheon of DC to play with, it may seem like a good thing, but balancing so many characters, creating an origin, and also telling an interesting tale is a tall order, and he does it so effortlessly. It's dense, every panel has details and every story line pays off in the end. This is a magnum opus of comic book storytelling. Generally I find event books to be tiresome, bloated, self-important and at the end of the day dull. Here you will find none of that, Cooke has taken an impossible take of rebooting an entire universe and did it splendidly in 350+ pages. I won't go into details of the story as it needs to be experienced, but man is it ever good.
Characters: Where do I start? Who do I start with? There are so many characters here that it boggles the mind, we got to meet so many and actually got a large chunk of character development to boot. Personalities, voices and dialog as all distinct and each character is memorable. This is simply stunningly good and quite remarkable. I can't stress enough how much I cared for these characters, and seeing their origin was a delight.
This book is simply too good for words. It literally is a New Frontier, and the dawn of a new age in comic books. The final shot is iconic and how Cooke managed to build a world so effortlessly is nothing short of heroic.
Onward to the next book!
I'm too young to remember the Golden Age and Silver Age of comics. When I started reading DC it was already in the Modern Age and I was already bogged down by the weight of 60+ years of canon. I know the history, I know how DC wanted to reinvent their Golden Age heroes for another generation, a reboot as it were, a freeing of their heroes from the constraints of canon. Well here is the accepted retcon of how the Silver Age came to be!
World: Darwyn Cooke's art is in a class all it's own. The line work, the framing, the designs all are stunningly beautiful. With New Frontier Darwyn had the entire DC canvas to play with and man is the art incredible. But it's not just the art that is amazing, the fact that he needed to world build essentially all of the DCU anew was an amazing feat. To create an origin story for not only the JLA, JSA, Suicide Squad, Blackhawks...the list goes on and on, this is a master class of world building and those who love to read origin stories will be treated to awesomeness.
Story: Huge in scope, flawless in pacing and simply in execution. As I said above, Cooke had the entire pantheon of DC to play with, it may seem like a good thing, but balancing so many characters, creating an origin, and also telling an interesting tale is a tall order, and he does it so effortlessly. It's dense, every panel has details and every story line pays off in the end. This is a magnum opus of comic book storytelling. Generally I find event books to be tiresome, bloated, self-important and at the end of the day dull. Here you will find none of that, Cooke has taken an impossible take of rebooting an entire universe and did it splendidly in 350+ pages. I won't go into details of the story as it needs to be experienced, but man is it ever good.
Characters: Where do I start? Who do I start with? There are so many characters here that it boggles the mind, we got to meet so many and actually got a large chunk of character development to boot. Personalities, voices and dialog as all distinct and each character is memorable. This is simply stunningly good and quite remarkable. I can't stress enough how much I cared for these characters, and seeing their origin was a delight.
This book is simply too good for words. It literally is a New Frontier, and the dawn of a new age in comic books. The final shot is iconic and how Cooke managed to build a world so effortlessly is nothing short of heroic.
Onward to the next book!
December 22, 2016
En JLA: La nueva frontera, tenemos una reinterpretación del inicio de la edad de plata del cómicbook en DC cómics. Darwyn Cooke nos ofrece una visión muy personal de una época en la que los superheroes dejaron de ser personajes planos, ajenos a la realidad y el paso del tiempo, para convertirse en personajes con personalidades y convicciones profundas, adquiriendo una continuidad histórica propia y compartida con el resto del universo DC e incorporando elementos del mundo real.
Además Cooke trata temas que en su momento no se podían tratar libremente, como la caza de brujas de McCarthy de los años 50 o la desigualdad racial... todo sin enfangarse en la política ni resultar maniqueo.
Lo mejor de todo es que esto lo consigue sin perder de vista el medio en el que publica, si buscas bien encontrarás una gran profundidad y muchos aspectos que te harán pensar, pero esto es un cómic de superheroes y como tal tendremos acción, fantasía, espectacularidad, una gran historia de héroes que se unen para oponerse a un gran mal... junto a pequeñas historias de personajes que viven en un mundo cambiante y que quieren dejar su huella en él.
El dibujo de Darwyn Cooke aunque es más caricaturesco que realista, para mi gusto es excepcional y muestra una gran maestría al mostrar lo que realmente importa al dibujar cómics: la acción y la expresión de los personajes, sin descuidar la espectacularidad necesaria en pin-ups y splash pages.
Finalmente esta edición de ECC que reseño me encanta... tapa dura, buen papel satinado... además del material original incluye el cómic que se creó expresamente para la promoción de la película de animación así como múltiples extras: portadas, notas del autor, artículos varios... muy buena edición aunque eso si, barata no es.
Además Cooke trata temas que en su momento no se podían tratar libremente, como la caza de brujas de McCarthy de los años 50 o la desigualdad racial... todo sin enfangarse en la política ni resultar maniqueo.
Lo mejor de todo es que esto lo consigue sin perder de vista el medio en el que publica, si buscas bien encontrarás una gran profundidad y muchos aspectos que te harán pensar, pero esto es un cómic de superheroes y como tal tendremos acción, fantasía, espectacularidad, una gran historia de héroes que se unen para oponerse a un gran mal... junto a pequeñas historias de personajes que viven en un mundo cambiante y que quieren dejar su huella en él.
El dibujo de Darwyn Cooke aunque es más caricaturesco que realista, para mi gusto es excepcional y muestra una gran maestría al mostrar lo que realmente importa al dibujar cómics: la acción y la expresión de los personajes, sin descuidar la espectacularidad necesaria en pin-ups y splash pages.
Finalmente esta edición de ECC que reseño me encanta... tapa dura, buen papel satinado... además del material original incluye el cómic que se creó expresamente para la promoción de la película de animación así como múltiples extras: portadas, notas del autor, artículos varios... muy buena edición aunque eso si, barata no es.
October 9, 2022
Is it very good?
Yes.
So, why not five stars?
Well, let's just start with the positive's. I thought the concept for the story was very unique. The DC universe set in the time period right after WW2. There is ton of stuff going on here (Too much). So of course there is going to be stand out characters. And for me, it was Martian Manhunter and Batman. Batman cause he's Batman, and Martian Manhunter, because I really liked his story. He comes down from Mars, just as the Space age is getting started. So he hides away until... Well, I will leave that for you to figure out. Before I go to the negatives, I just want to touch on the art. If you have seen Darwyn Cooke's art before it has this very retro vibe to it. Which of course fits the theme of this comic.
My main problem with this is that it is way too long. There's a certain portion where it really starts to drag. But then of course, your rewarded with a really great moment. There's times when the comic is more concerned with these random war members instead of the reason we actually picked up this. SUPERHEROS!
You can tell Cooke really liked Green Lantern. Because, he is one of the main focuses here. In fact, it tells (a version of) his origin story. So, Hal starts out in the military, which I guess is why we spend so much time with all the random war members.
I recommend!
Yes.
So, why not five stars?
Well, let's just start with the positive's. I thought the concept for the story was very unique. The DC universe set in the time period right after WW2. There is ton of stuff going on here (Too much). So of course there is going to be stand out characters. And for me, it was Martian Manhunter and Batman. Batman cause he's Batman, and Martian Manhunter, because I really liked his story. He comes down from Mars, just as the Space age is getting started. So he hides away until... Well, I will leave that for you to figure out. Before I go to the negatives, I just want to touch on the art. If you have seen Darwyn Cooke's art before it has this very retro vibe to it. Which of course fits the theme of this comic.
My main problem with this is that it is way too long. There's a certain portion where it really starts to drag. But then of course, your rewarded with a really great moment. There's times when the comic is more concerned with these random war members instead of the reason we actually picked up this. SUPERHEROS!
You can tell Cooke really liked Green Lantern. Because, he is one of the main focuses here. In fact, it tells (a version of) his origin story. So, Hal starts out in the military, which I guess is why we spend so much time with all the random war members.
I recommend!
June 26, 2016
3.5 stars
This was a reread and I actually read the two TPBs together.
This was better the second time for me, the first read being a few years after this originally came out. I can see now the ambition of it: merging multiple characters that have never crossed before, fitting all of them into the early sixties fraught with the red scare. The story marks the time when superheroes existed but there was a backlash until a threat bigger than everyone appears, leading everyone to work together to combat the end of existence.
There's a slow buildup and not necessarily in a bad way. Cooke moves from character to character, giving small moments of each to introduce and better understand them and their place in this world. In the background there are small hints to something bigger. About the last 25% of the book is when everything merges together and not necessarily how you would think. I always love Cooke's art, but I felt the story could have used a little more bang for the buck. It has the potential to be this huge epic but it never quite feels that way, or at least my expectation kept leading me to that, despite having read this already. It's a solid read for sure, rewriting an early time period of DC heroes and giving a different perspective on what a heroes is and means to people during that time, but for me, it just didn't reach that iconic status, sad to say.
This was a reread and I actually read the two TPBs together.
This was better the second time for me, the first read being a few years after this originally came out. I can see now the ambition of it: merging multiple characters that have never crossed before, fitting all of them into the early sixties fraught with the red scare. The story marks the time when superheroes existed but there was a backlash until a threat bigger than everyone appears, leading everyone to work together to combat the end of existence.
There's a slow buildup and not necessarily in a bad way. Cooke moves from character to character, giving small moments of each to introduce and better understand them and their place in this world. In the background there are small hints to something bigger. About the last 25% of the book is when everything merges together and not necessarily how you would think. I always love Cooke's art, but I felt the story could have used a little more bang for the buck. It has the potential to be this huge epic but it never quite feels that way, or at least my expectation kept leading me to that, despite having read this already. It's a solid read for sure, rewriting an early time period of DC heroes and giving a different perspective on what a heroes is and means to people during that time, but for me, it just didn't reach that iconic status, sad to say.
July 3, 2016
Perhaps i don't know enough about Golden and Silver Age characters to really care about this... most of the time i felt lost trying to understand who was who. Really like Cooke's drawings but some characters (to me) looked almost the same.
Non related but related, was this the book that inspired Batman Vs Superman? Seems that some of the plot lines are similar, and it looks like Justice League new movie will also borrow from this.
Non related but related, was this the book that inspired Batman Vs Superman? Seems that some of the plot lines are similar, and it looks like Justice League new movie will also borrow from this.
February 24, 2015
Cooke's masterpiece is, simply put, one of the best comics I have ever read... A transcendent study of 1950's America and the relevance of its heroes.
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