DC Comics’ crossover event Beast World has officially launched, and with it are some exciting anthology comics to flesh out the global crisis. Out this week is Titans: Beast World Tour – Metropolis #1, featuring three stories focused on Dreamer, Jimmy Olsen, and Lois Lane. The world has not yet dropped into total chaos, but it’s coming as superheroes become beasts!
As you might guess from the title, this anthology features stories set in Metropolis. For a global event, it’s pretty smart to curate tales around locations, helping convey the struggle heroes are going through in specific places.
This issue opens with a story titled “Primal Pain” by Nicole Maines, Steve Orlando, and Fico Ossio. DC Comics has tipped its hand and teased Dreamer will be joining Amanda Waller’s team, and this story does a good job showing us why Dreamer is a target. Her powers are impressive and a compelling ability for any super team. Dreamer is dealing with some power issues early on as she sees the future in real time. This is trippy as hell, as others can’t see what she sees. Quickly, she realizes many will die if she doesn’t warn them and enlists Jon Kent to help her get the word out.
The story has lots of visual detail and action as the heroes face off against Livewire. Dreamer’s heroics are key as she can’t help but save folks, even if screaming they need to flee seems crazy with the threat yet to arrive. It’s also interesting how she’s not quite sure of her powers and likely needs additional training to make them work.
Dreamer is a compelling hero with plenty of potential.
Credit: DC Comics
Next up is Dan Jurgens and Anthony Marques’ (with Joe Prado and Wade Von Grawbadger) “Turtle Boy.” The boy in question is Jimmy Olsen, who sprouts into a Godzilla-sized turtle. The art style helps convey that this is a goofy tale with a cartoony look. The story is a little too goofy for my tastes, but it’s a nice reminder events can play around with themes and mix things up.
Closing out this anthology is “Don’t Stop” by Zipporah Smith and Joshua Williamson, with art by Edwin Galmon. This is an excellent look at the ramifications Lois Lane is going through, knowing full well that superheroes are being turned into animals. Safe and secure in the Fortress of Solitude, she’s monitoring the world events and what Superman is up to. Set after the second issue of the main event, the story smartly connects to an ongoing build-up towards a Brainiac clash but, more importantly, adds a human-level perspective on a global catastrophe. Galmon’s art is clean in its digital look and feel. Thanks to city backgrounds and other finer details, there’s an almost photorealistic look.
Titans: Beast World Tour – Metropolis helps add to the larger event with three tales fleshing out perspectives from different heroes. Two out of the three feel essential, or at the very least compelling, looks at heroes trying to make sense of the chaos the world is under. I call that a win.
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