Michael Holt’s life is changing in many ways as the creative team, led by writer Al Letson, tackles Mr. Terrific’s current and past adventures in Mr. Terrific: Year One #2. The fun of this miniseries is getting to revisit his early days when his life took a major turn after the loss of his wife, Paula, and unborn child. Letson doesn’t let Holt have it easy, as evidenced by last issue’s cliffhanger ending, which saw even more loss in Holt’s life. Edwin Galmon opens the issue in the present day, then hands it off to Valentine De Landro and Marissa Lousie as they dig deeper into Holt’s early days as Mr. Terrific, but how does it all come together, and who is a player that connects those times?
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The opening, by Letson and Galmon, in the present time, does an excellent job of capturing interest in just three pages. Galmon takes the action from zero to max in his pages as he shows Mr. Terrific investigating a rundown Prescott Industries; there, he discovers a rift with a trapped Hellhound from Apokolips. While the action is on the page, Letson does a fine job with Mr. Terrific’s inner monologue. That prose builds up quite the mystery and makes me want to keep an eye out for any new information on the Nexus Engine and even check the last issue to see what was said about it there. I also appreciate the connections this series is establishing with DC’s All-In Special.
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The issue then drifts to the past in an interesting revisit to Holt’s first appearance in Spectre (Vol. 3) #54 and that chance meeting with the Spectre, Jim Corrigan. I like the new inserts, such as Holt’s friends, Holt’s knowledge of Paula being pregnant, which conflicts with his business interests, and the Nexus Engine. I appreciate how Al Letson respects John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake’s original work, while also building on it to flesh out the origin story and tie it into DC’s All-In initiative. These new additions are looking to make Mr. Terrific quite the major player in the upcoming battle with Darkseid.
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The story portions here are fascinating and drew me in as I read along. These new layers of conflicts that Michael Holt has are exciting to his character, and I can’t wait to see how Al Letson will play them against the new portions of Holt’s original methods. The new friction between Michael and Paula creates layers to the accident, and I am curious about the changes that could arise from Michael’s guilt about Paula’s accident and his friend, Dre. There are some clashes with the New 52 Mister Terrific series, but I enjoy this version as it ties in with the historical first appearance and adds engrossing character drama, wrapped in eye-catching art.
Al Letson and the art team continue to shape Mr. Terrific: Year One into something more than just a retelling; it’s an actual character excavation. By threading together past trauma, present mystery, and future stakes, this issue deepens Michael Holt’s emotional journey without losing sight of his intellect, heart, or pain. Letson’s respect for the source material blends well with his drive to expand Holt’s world, and the connections to DC’s All-In initiative hint that Holt’s story is just beginning to ripple outward. Whether it’s the family tension with Paula, the lingering guilt of Dre, or the question of how far a man driven by grief can rise. This issue redefines Michael Holt’s origin rather than simply retelling it.
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