Dynamo 5: Sins of the Father #2

August 7, 2010

Title: Sins of the Father Part Two

Writer: Jay Faerber
Penciler: Julio Brilha
Inker: Julio Brilha
Colorist: Ron Riley
Letterer: Charles Pritchett
Cover: Mahmud Asrar & Ron Riley
Publisher: Image Comics

Years ago, the late Captain Dynamo joined forces with Omni-Man, Supreme, the Dragon, Firebird, and others joined forces to drive the invading alien, Dominex, from Earth. Now, years later, his three sons have returned to avenge their father’s defeat. It’s going to be up to Dynamo 5, the new Firebird, and Invincible to do the job their parents did before.

This is a damn good issue. As strong a group of heroes as we’ve got here, we’ve got three times as many alien powerhouses as their parents drove away. There’s also the issue that the Dynamo 5 guys are still getting used to their new powers, after they all got swapped around at the end of the previous series. It’s great to see so many guest-stars in this book, helping cement the characters as part of the loose “Image Universe,” and I really love the continued development of Hector’s relationship with Firebird. Maddie’s connection to the greater superhuman community is tapped into as well, and the whole thing really feels like it could have been a long, planned out saga. Really, at another publisher, this could easily turn into a multi-title crossover epic. Dynamo 5 is one of those Image properties that’s overshadowed by the better known ones, but is just as good as anything else they’re publishing.

And not just for the main feature! Let’s take a peek at a really awesome back-up tale…

Title: Notorious Part Two
Writer: Jay Faerber
Art: Joe Eisma
Colorist: Paul Little
Letterer: Charles Pritchett

In the second chapter of Faerber’s newest saga, the cops and mob alike are trying to figure out why the superhero called Notorious is targeting Frank Murtha’s gang so hard. Last issue we got the shocking truth about Notorious’s identity (and I don’t mean that as sarcasm, it was a genuine surprise), and this issue we delve into his backstory. He’s got one of the more original superhero motivations I’ve seen. Sure, there are shades of Batman or the Punisher or anybody else who went into the vigilante biz to avenge somebody’s death, but this character ain’t Bruce Wayne or Frank Castle. This is a really original idea, one that I haven’t seen done anywhere in comics before, and how often do you get to say that nowadays?

Two great stories in this great issue.

Rating: 8/10