Geiger: Ground Zero #1 sees Geoff Johns and Gary Frank returning to their creator-owned title, with a new angle. This time around, they’re expanding upon the background of their nuclear-powered hero and his early adventures in irradiated America. Hot on his tail are a squadron of soldiers, led by energy expert Dr. Molotov, who want to kill off the ‘Glowing Man’. But Ground Zero isn’t just a way for Johns and Frank to flesh out the world Geiger inhabits; it also doubles as the ground floor (if you’ll excuse the pun) for the upcoming Ghost Machine publishing initiative which Geiger is a part of.
It’s that first point that will probably draw readers to Ground Zero. The original Geiger miniseries, while having an intriguing plot, didn’t really go into Geiger’s background apart from some flashbacks in the first two issues. Here, Johns fleshes out his connection to his family, as well as his struggle with cancer – and even draws a surprising number of parallels between Geiger and Molotov. Both have had their lives upended by nuclear fallout, which cost Geiger his family and Molotov his wife. Both are searching for some purpose in a blighted new world. But the most interesting parallel is how both of them deal with prejudice – Geiger’s neighbors attempted to kill his family in the opening days of the “Unknown War” while one soldier constantly accuses Molotov of causing the nuclear hellscape that is current America. It’s this type of storytelling I hope to see more of, as it adds much-needed depth to this world.
Frank’s artwork is the one element of the book that doesn’t need much revamping. His attention to detail results in some hauntingly compelling images – especially when Geiger is on the page. The radioactive man slowly trudges through the desert, with every step leaving nothing but fire and ash in his wake. Compared to the flashbacks, which portray him as a kind and loving father/husband who took the time to read a story to his kids, it’s shocking – but then again, that’s the point. Adding to the gravity of the story is Brad Anderson’s color work and Rob Leigh’s letters. Anderson opts for earthy tones, punctuated by the eerie green glow surrounding Geiger’s body, while Leigh’s lettering depicts every other word out of his mouth as a guttural, haunting grasp.
Overall, this works very well as an introduction to Geiger’s character; new readers can come in without picking up the original Geiger series or its spinoff Junkyard Joe. In fact, Ground Zero may convince them to pick up those series! It’s also not hard to see how Johns and Frank are building the foundation for the eventual line of Ghost Machine titles. Like Radiant Black before it, Geiger grounds its fantastic story with a compelling character, as well as the promise of more to come.
Geiger: Ground Zero #1 provides a compelling, yet tragic origin for its radioactive protagonist – and an entry point for new readers. This comic is proof that Image is firing on a wholly different set of cylinders than other publishers, and it makes me even more excited for the future of comics in genera.
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