DC: The New Frontier

DC: New Frontier
Issues 01 - 06 [Prestige Format]
Written by Darwyn Cooke
Illustrated by Darwyn Cooke
Coloring by Dave Stewart
Published March 2004 - November 2004

In DC: The New Frontier, Darwyn Cooke takes us to an alternate 1950's. Masked heroes have been labeled vigilantes, “a federal offense, akin to treason.” The Golden Age heroes, the Justice Society of America, have removed themselves from the public spotlight, rather than reveal their identities and swear loyalty to American administration. Only Superman and Wonder Woman have taken the oath. But, when humanity is faced with possible annihilation, can the new generation band together and save the Earth?

At this point in the comic artform, a story where heroes are labeled vigilantes may seem a bit clichéd. However, Darwyn Cooke's exploration of the 1950's through the perspective of super heroes and war heroes is a fresh take on what many see as a played out story. The use of characters throughout DC's history, including the JSA, the Blackhawks, the Suicide Squad, and the characters that eventually make up the JLA, allows Cooke to show the same essential story through many different archetypes. This story is much more interesting and well-written than many previous stories of this caliber that I have read.

When I first started reading DC: The New Frontier, I expected the characters to be simple caricatures of themselves, echoes of what they once were. What I found instead were characters who knew who they were and what they stood for. Cooke managed to stay true to the characters, while placing them perfectly in the settings that surrounded them.

Superman shows his rural-raised sensibilities in his willingness to fight for America, while still proving he has a definite sense of what is right and wrong. Wonder Woman is depicted as a true Amazon warrior, a rare thing for her character. Intelligent, strong, battle-ready, and confident, Wonder Woman is depicted as who she was meant to be, not a cheap bastardization of herself (as tends to be the case with most representations of the Amazing Amazon). The Bat-Man was everything he should be. Terrifying, blunt, determined, intelligent, and an amazing detective. Even the characters newer to the scene of hero-ing, such as Barry Allen, Hal Jordan, and J'onn J'onzz knew when to stand and fight for what they believed in.

The character development in this story-line is something that can only be achieved by a truly great writer. Characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Bat-Man, who have all clearly been around for years at this point, all manage to be who you expect them to be. It's the newer characters that provide the most interesting character developments. I like Hal Jordan being unwilling to kill for his country. It sets up from an early point the fact that he has his own idea of what morality is, and does not break it. Cooke even discusses what it would take to get Hal Jordan to kill. All of this is long before he ever takes up the mantle of Green Lantern. J'onn J'onzz has a different path. He comes to Earth entirely by accident and finds himself enthralled with the planet and its creatures. That is, until he discovers the prejudice that is overwhelming America at the time, and the fear most Americans feel towards the idea of Martians.

Darwyn Cooke's artwork, with the help of Dave Stewart's coloring, is beautiful and lush. The artwork is particularly exceptional when it comes to bringing to life the 1950's in which our heroes find themselves. Darwyn Cooke's art has always had a retro-50's feel to it, in my opinion. Setting a story in the 1950's just seems a logical step for him.

This story does seem to draw inspiration from other stories. The obvious example is Watchmen. Generally considered to be one of the greatest pieces of comic book history, it's hard for anyone post-Watchmen to not draw on it in some way. For DC: The New Frontier, it can been seen in both the treatment of the heroes as criminals and nutcases to the giant monster being the catalyst to bring the world together. The Centre (the giant monster in question) also reminds me a lot of the Cthulhu mythos. The being seems to cause hysteria and insanity in anyone who is mentally attuned enough to be effected by it. The Centre, much like Cthulhu, has also had many cults around the world as followers. Despite these similarities, DC: The New Frontier manages to mold the inspiration from these other stories into a new and exciting form.

Overall: I found DC: The New Frontier to be quite an amazing read. The writing and character development are superb. The artwork beautifully captures the era. The combination of these elements makes for an exciting and enjoyable twist on what could be seen as a stale plot-device in comics.

Availability: I've found that the single issues can be a slight challenge to find, though they are available online, and not too expensive. Check retailers like MyComicShop and Demolition Comics for single issues. The series was also released as two trades, currently available at most bookstores (including Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble), as well as the comic retailers listed above.

Also available is an Absolute Edition DC: The New Frontier. This version is generally harder to find, and certainly most expensive than the other versions available. I've seen a few high priced copies available online at places like Amazon and eBay. I'm fairly certain the Absolute Edition is out of print, which may explain the high cost of these copies.

Also check out:
If you like Darwyn Cooke's work, check out:
Superman Confidential HC Vol. 1 with Tim Sale
Batman: Ego and Other Tails with various writers and artists, a collection of Darwyn Cooke's work on both Batman and Catwoman, including Selina's Big Score.
Catwoman (Volume 2) TPB Volume 1: The Dark End of the Street, the first issues of the second volume of Catwoman, following the events of Selina's Big Score, with writer Ed Brubaker.

If you like DC: The New Frontier, check out:
Justice League: The New Frontier Special
Just League: New Frontier animated movie

If you like stories about heroes being treated as vigilantes by the government, check out:
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Marvel Comics Civil War storyline, by various writers and artists.