Majestic (2005 Series) #1

January 10, 2005

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: While You Were Out

Mr. Majestic makes it home – to find an empty Earth waiting for him.

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Pencils: Neil Googe
Inks: Trevor Scott
Colors: Carrie Strachan
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Alex Sinclair
Cover Art: Ed McGuiness & Dexter Vines (Cover A); Josh Middleton (Cover B)
Publisher: DC Comics/Wildstorm Universe

Wow, this is neat. My second Majestic #1 review in about six months. Well, fortunately, it’s as good as it was before. Superman and the Eradicator have found a way to get Mr. Majestic back to his home universe, only to find that all human and animal life has been completely wiped from the planet. The heroes find there are still threats on this poor Earth, however, and there’s plenty of action here even on a dead world.

It’s great to know that the writers who began revitalizing Majestic last year in Superman’s titles are still getting to play with him here. They’ve really got a handle on him, and this may well be the first-ever Wildstorm ongoing title I get on a regular basis. The only downside to this issue would have to be the way the writers gloss over the return to Majestic’s homeworld. It all happens off-panel, and the explanation is a bit too far into the Star Trek/technobabble methodology of writing for my taste. Still, it helps throw us right into the action, which is a good thing.

Neil Googe has a lot to live up to, taking over this title from Karl Kerschl, but does a solid job. He’s got a handle on all three of our supermen, and furthermore, he’s got great grasp on all of the high-tech, sci-fi stuff that seems to come with Majestic’s world.

The issue ends in a nice cliffhanger, but it also closes off a plot thread I would have liked to seen used a bit more, at least through this first story arc. Overall, though, it’s a very nice start to a new era for Mr. Majestic.

Rating: 8/10