Writer: Jay Faerber
Artist: Mahmud Asrar
Publisher: Image Comics
There comes a time when a responsible comic book reader has to branch out from his comfort zone. I have done this over the years and have found some of the best books on the market in G.I. Joe, Invincible and The Escapists. “Creator-owned” publisher Image has managed to put out some of the best alternative superhero books today. Robert Kirkman’s Invincible is one of the best books you can spend money on, and Image has found a way to streamline these characters into a fluid and cohesive universe. Annoyed with Marvel over their recent happenings, I checked out SBC’s own Mike Diaz’s “What Looks Good Column” and saw the synopsis for Jay Faerber and Mahumd Asrar’s Dynamo5. A story about five illegitimate children with the same superhero father? Okay, that’s enough for me to give it a whirl.
The basic premise of this title is wild. Five teen superheroes, each having one of their father's five powers, each coming from a different mothers and all employed by their father’s legitimate wife. First Image delivers dysfunction in the form of Omni-Man and his son Invincible, but this takes the cake. Just knowing the basic idea of this series is enough to make it a worthwhile read.
Captain Dynamo is another Image presented Superman-satire that has passed away and left quite the legacy. His wife Maddie, after finding “the little black book,” discovers that her husband had an affair, and not just one affair but dozens of affairs that have left five children who have no idea of their connection. Maddie brings these kids together with the strange intention of carrying out her husband’s legacy. That little plot detail itself is a bit of an interesting development. Why would this woman who recently discovered her late husband’s extramarital life want to continue his legacy?
Either way we get to see this team in action right off the bat, and even though they claim to have only been together for a month, their powers work together as a team more than the characters do. It’s an interesting concept, and Maddie exploits these kids knowing full well what her husband was capable of. This portion of the issue deals with each of the character’s personalities. It’s a unique way of getting these kids to bond without going through the motions of going to the movies or hanging out at the arcade. They’ve been thrown together by a crazy woman as far as they are concerned, and they get to know one another while they use one of the five powers given to them by their father.
It’s a great fight scene with the terrorist group, the Veil. What really makes this fight stand out is the superb artwork by Mahmud Asrar. It's classic comic artwork with a bit of an edge. The colors are vivid, and the similarly colored uniform of each teen superhero stands out in each panel. The art is clear, clean and works out very well from start to finish and really brings a lot to this title.
The second half of this issue is where I really fell in love with this concept. Faerber and Asrar show how Maddie gets set on the path of finding her husband’s children and how she goes about recruiting them. It’s a bit sketchy, but it ultimately works. And the most satisfying aspect of Maddie’s character is that while reading this issue, you can get a sense that there is something else going on with her. Every time Asrar draws a scene with Maddie, the art changed slightly. If you compare the art of the teens which is clean and clear and then look at Maddie, it’s inconsistent. At first I thought it was just poor workmanship, but after the finale of this issue and knowing that Asrar and Faerber both created these characters, the inconsistency in the artwork look intentional.
This title has the potential to be the next Invincible. It provides another alternative take on superheroes with a great dysfunctional twist. I was pleasantly surprised by this issue and must give props to Mike Diaz for pointing it out in his column. This is my pick of the week.
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