Eleven months ago, Danger Street released featuring a story that didn’t take itself too seriously while also lifting up New Gods in an epic way. The series has played with structure, story, and expectations expertly well. That’s evident from the captions, which detail a story of knights, princesses, and ogres running amok. And now, this week, the penultimate issue is here, promising major ramifications as the story builds toward its finale. Can writer Tom King and artist Jorge Fornés make us believe some street rat kids can save the universe?
I think at this point, the answer is yes, but it’s still too early to tell. This issue is largely about the nation of Lady Copy, who lets a known supervillain into her home, and his actions are about as expected. The issue opens with Creeper, a pundit on a 24-hour news channel, knocking at her door. She knows he’s the Creeper as she decked him after an abysmal date. Why she lets him in is anyone’s guess, although one can imagine she’s confident and brave enough to take in a wacko like him.
Meanwhile, the main villain of this entire epic is being held down in a private jet sitting on a tarmac. Some of the weirdest and most juvenile heroes are holding him as he professes himself a king. One can see the absurdity of this situation juxtaposing well against New Gods like Darkseid pulling friends out of fire. Like the Butterfly Effect, it seems the smallest of choices and the least powerful of people can affect great change.
These guys are wackos!
Credit: DC Comics
Orion’s awkwardness is probably the strongest example of the absurdity of it all. He’s stuck with a bunch of kids, two of whom are dedicated to a video game, while the world is about to end. King is great at showing a god, usually certain in his actions, questioning everything. In the absurdity of the situation he’s in, how can one stay calm? The Dingbats around him might be so small and insignificant that they can’t comprehend the stakes, or maybe their more pedestrian lifestyle gives them the opportunity to not care in the face of utter doom.
Change certainly happens in a big way in this issue. We’re talking about murders and the growing need to utilize Dr. Fate’s mask to bring people back to life. While tensions build towards a finality of the end of all things, there is also a senseless absurdity running throughout. The world could be ending soon, but also, let’s see how many times we can hack off our friend’s arm.
I will say the captions mixed with the events of this issue do feel a bit too obtuse for their own good. Maybe it requires a reread or three, but I found myself wondering what it all means. Lady Cop also seems to be making some crass decisions on the fly, which doesn’t seem like her. Why let Creeper into her house, for instance, or why now does she decide to break the law? There’s not quite enough there on the page to make me believe she’d make these choices.
Danger Street #11 is barreling towards its finale, mixing the absurdity of superhero with the finality of doomsday. It’s once exciting, and perplexing, making it one of the most unique comics you’ll read this decade.
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