The next stage of DC’s Next Level kicks into high gear with The Fury of Firestorm #1, and from the opening pages, it immediately becomes clear why Jeff Lemire and Rafael de Latorre picked that title. The small town of Bedford, Colorado is visited by Firestorm, who begins to use his powers to create strange and horrific experiments that affect the environment and the people living there. The Department of Defense enlists Lorraine Reilly, aka Firehawk, to investigate what has driven the Nuclear Man to these lengths.
Firestorm has always been one of the more interesting characters in the DC Universe, both in terms of power and personality. The face that athlete Ronnie Raymond and scientist Martin Stein combine to form Firestorm provides a unique dynamic, as they’re completely different yet have to work together to operate Firestorm. His ability to manipulate the fundamental forces of nature makes him one of the most powerful metahumans out there, to the point where he could give Superman a run for his money. The Fury of Firestorm #1 asks, “What if all that power was used for ill intent?”
It’s not the first time that Lemire’s put a unique spin on a DC superhero. Anyone who’s been reading Absolute Flash knows that he has a gift for melding sci-fi and horror tropes, and that gift carries over into the main continuity. It’s heavily implied that neither Ronnie or Stein are be in control of Firestorm, which is a truly terrifying thought. Even more horrifying is the casual way that Firestorm reshapes everything in his path, with as much thought as you or I’d give to stepping on an ant. Plenty of comics have put their own spin on how scary a superhero could be in real life, but Lemire’s works because it builds up the horror rather than going for cheap thrills.
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What really makes The Fury of Firestorm #1 stand out is de Latorre’s work. de Latorre is probably best known for his work on Chip Zdarsky’s Daredevil and Kelly Thompson’s Black Widow, which matched stellar artwork with stellar scripting. The Fury of Firestorm #1 pushes his art to its limits, and shows the depths of Firestorm’s power. Buildings and people are turned into sand or glass, forever frozen in a rictus of horror. Entire landscapes take on Salvador Dali-esque visuals, to the point where it feels like the reader has descended into madness. One of the most unique approaches features a section that’s made to look like one of Firestorm’s Silver Age Adventures, posing even more questions.
Marcelo Maiolo and Lucas Gattoni round out the artistic duties with their colors and letters, which really sell the creepy angle that The Fury of Firestorm #1 is going for. Maiolo utilizes red and yellow throughout, especially when it comes to Firestorm; the Nuclear Man’s ever burning flame takes on a sinister look, while Gattoni’s wording feels otherworldly enough to send chills running down your spine. The shift into the aforementioned Silver Age sequence also has the bright colors and thought bubbles you’d expect from that time period, to the point where you’d have to double check the date this comic released.
The Fury of Firestorm #1 brings a chilling new edge to the Nuclear Man, and opens up a mystery that’s equal parts compelling and terrifying. It also shows that DC is truly willing to go to the next level, especially with characters you don’t expect.
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