Writer: Jay Faerber
Artist: Mahmud Asrar
Publisher: Image Comics
Dynamo5 is the type of comic book that readers who are looking for something alternative to Marvel and DC absolutely need to buy. Dynamo5 has the potential to be the best book on the market and is starting to gain momentum on both the sales chart and in popularity. What Jay Faerber and Mahmud Asrar have created is the type of superhero team that follows the basic dynamics of a team but has enough character twists to keep this title fresh for a long time.
Two things are working very well for this title. The first is that Faerber manages to keep each character distinct and doesn’t try to develop their personalities too fast. This keeps the possibilities for all of these characters open and allows Faerber room to explore his characters and their similarities and differences to their father even further. We see glimpses of their personalities throughout this issue and how they use their powers when they aren’t in costume. For example, Gage uses his telepathy to read the minds of the girls in his high school, all of whom want to do dirty things to him.
Faerber also manages to keep the interactions amongst the step-brothers and sisters fresh and realistic. Gage and Myriad, two of the males, give their brother Visionary a great deal of flak for still being a virgin. Upon hearing this conversation, the two sisters, Slingshot and Scrap, confront the boys and explain to Visionary that there is nothing wrong with being a virgin. This conversation really worked for me as it showed some of the values of the characters, but it also managed to show how “normal” all the kids are. They may have super-powers, but they are learning about themselves, especially based on the fact that they just found out the identity of their real father.
The second thing that works fantastically for this title thus far is the way Faerber’s stories manage to stay self-contained. Overall, they are not technically independent, as there is a general theme and idea running through the series thus far. However, each of the three issues has brought on different situations featuring different villains of their late father’s. As readers know, Captain Dynamo’s wife Maddie is pulling the strings when it comes to the Dynamo5, and she has definitely got some ulterior motives. I personally am still waiting for Cecil Steadman from Invincible to pop-up. This issue focuses on a former “sometimes” partner of Captain Dynamo, Quake.
Quake has a few issues in the head and need medication to keep him from hallucinating. Maddie has given Myriad, the shape shifter, orders to impersonate Captain Dynamo to get Quake to start taking his pills again. Watching Myriad try to nail the mannerisms and voice of Captain Dynamo is both humorous and heart-wrenching. For one, these kids are dealing with a lot, having been recruited into being superheroes and having to deal with their respective mothers’ infidelities. But seeing Myriad watch footage of Captain Dynamo and shape shift into his biological father only to bash him was both entertaining and heart-breaking, and I applaud Faerber for “going there.”
The actual fight scene with Quake at the end of this issue is very entertaining and beautifully drawn. Over the past three issues, Faerber has managed to show each of the heroes’ strengths and weaknesses based solely on their specific powers. When it comes to teamwork, they still shoot from the hip and fail to really devise a working strategy, but this is essential to the development of the team. The twist at the end of this issue had me just as confused as the Dynamo5, and I can’t wait to see how this unfolds. I won't spoil the twist, but I can say that it is a doozy… a big one.
Mahmud Asrar’s art is stunning. I have stated in the previous reviews that I love the way that each of the characters has his and her own distinct outfit. The color scheme is the same, but each character’s costume fits differently and is seemingly in tune both to the wearer's powers and personalities. This issue also marks the first time we get a good look at Captain Dynamo, and it’s safe to say that Asrar has created what would be an iconic character. Dynamo is similar to Superman in stature and in terms of costume layout, but distinct enough to give the feel that he truly was an icon.
There’s not much to dislike about Dynamo5. It’s got interesting and different characters, a great premise and a decent plot. The character arcs and development is what really makes this title stand out. I hope that it continues to skyrocket in popularity because it is really that good.
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