About Heroes

The Twelve #1
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Chris Weston
Cover: Kaare Andrews

I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t going to buy this series. I know nothing about the characters and already have a large number of comics I buy every month anyway. My friend Nate at my comic store told me that if I reviewed this book he would buy me both issues 0 and 1. I can’t pass up a deal like that and I’m actually surprised at how good this comic was.
The first issue basically brings the twelve heroes into the current marvel universe. The story begins in the year 1945; Captain America and the Invaders are fighting in the war going on in Berlin, Germany. The twelve heroes are there as well, charging into battle and kicking nazi ass. The twelve heroes don’t really know one another, but they work together while investigating the headquarters of nazi spies. Dick Jones, the Phantom Reporter, narrates the comic. He gives readers a quick run down of who these twelve heroes are and what reveals what powers they might possess. Along with the Phantom Reporter, the other heroes are: Mister E, Master Mind Excello, Rockman, Black Widow (Not Natasha, some blonde haired hottie) Captain Wonder, Dynamic Man, Blue Blade, Laughing Mask, The Fiery Mask, The Witness, and Electro (A big robot, not Max Dillon). The heroes fall into a trap and are knocked unconscious by some gas filtered into the chamber. The two nazi scientists put the heroes into freezing tubes except for Electro. Electro has a signal that controls him, yet the heroes are so far underground the signal can’t reach him. So basically the eleven heroes are frozen and Electro just kind of goes offline. The two nazis feel powerful with the heroes as their captives, yet the Russians invade Berlin and the nazi’s are killed, captured, or sent to work camps. So the location of the twelve remains a mystery and the heroes slumber the years away. This has a Captain America vibe with the heroes staying in stasis for many years.
Now the story cuts to Germany in 2008. Construction workers are building new apartment complexes and the world has pretty much forgotten about the twelve. Suddenly, a bulldozer falls into a crevasse and the secret lab containing the twelve is unearthed. The authorities show up and recognize the twelve. The heroes are still young and alive and slumbering (like I said, this is just like what happened to Captain America in Avengers #4) and the government wants to take advantage of having these heroes back on their side. The Civil War is brought up and the Russians realize that these heroes only served their government, thus they are still enlisted to serve their country. The heroes are taken to a hospital and the government tries to keep the heroes from realizing they have been asleep for 60 years. The really cool thing is that the Phantom Reporter automatically finds out he isn’t in the same time era. His nurse has three ear piercings in one ear and she is wearing stockings with no garters to hold them. The Reporter and Captain Wonder make it outside and find out the world has drastically changed. Later the twelve heroes are given the truth by the government and the heroes decide to serve their country and continue to fight the good fight. The last page shows the Phantom Reporter standing over the body of the Blue Blade. I didn’t see that coming, this was a great cliffhanger ending!

Thoughts/Comments:
WOW! I am actually shocked how good this comic was. For a comic I had no interest in it really delivered. The art was beautiful, get Chris Weston over on Ultimate Spider-Man ASAP! JMS did a great job bringing these forgotten heroes into the current day Marvel Universe. I’m interested in seeing where these lost heroes go from here, and the Black Widow is a total hottie! Apparently her touch can kill, but as JMS states “many GI’s and men were willing to take that chance.” I still think I’m going to wait for the trade due to money issues, but this was a great start to a great mini-series. Check it out, I think it will surprise many comic fans. It sure surprised me! I give issue one a solid A!