REVIEW: Team 7 #0

Team 7 #0 delves deep into the backstory of DC’s New 52 secret agent team, showing the beginnings of characters like Black Canary, Deathstroke and Grifter. This Major Spoilers review will not answer the question as to why this is called Team 7, because the team has ten members.

TEAM 7 #0
Writer: Justin Jordan
Artist: Jesus Merino with Norm Rapmund and Rob Hunter
Colors: Nathan Eyring
Lettering: Pat Brosseau
Cover: Ken Lashley with Nathan Eyring
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99

Previously in Team 7: This is an actual issue zero that functions as an actual zero issue – issue #1 of this series comes out next month.

BEGINNINGS

Team 7 #0 takes the action back to the very roots of the New 52 continuity. Over scenes pulled from the Brianiac battles in Action Comics, spymaster John Lynch introduces his concept for a special ops team built to combat the new super-powered threats popping up all over the globe. With this first issue, Justin Jordan has the unenviable task of introducing the readers to ten, count ‘em, ten characters. A few will be familiar to long-time DC/Wildstorm readers, like Black Canary, Grifter, and Deathstroke, while others might be more obscure, and some are brand new. Jordan handles the introductions with workmanlike ability, giving each character a chance to shine with at least one scene of badassery apiece. Dinah Drake and Kurt Lance get the most focus, as they’re tasked with rounding up the rest of the team. There is little interaction between the various characters as they assemble, so there’s no hint of whatever conflict that will invariably split the team apart, but there are hints of a mystery where the “Majestic Project” is concerned.

This issue doesn’t wow, but it doesn’t do anything wrong either. Trying to introduce an audience to a cast this large is difficult, and most writers go one of two routes. Either you can parcel out small sets of the characters with each issue to get the readers acclimated slowly, or just throw ’em all out at once. Obviously, Jordan chose the latter approach here, with good results. The character beats aren’t deep, but from the start it is clearly spelled out what each player’s role is, as everyone gets their moment in the sun. Jordan keeps the action fun and fast, and this issue was good enough to get me to sign in for next month’s proper #1.

THE USUAL, DONE RIGHT

The art is done in a familiar style to superhero comic readers, but Merino does that style better than most. He achieves this by filling the panels with a great deal of detail and cleanly executing the action. In the sequence that introduces Team 7’s pilot, Merino renders a crazily twisting missile storm that’s as good as anything Macross could deliver, and exemplifies the sort of work he’s doing. For big screen comics explosions, Merino is the guy. His faces are a little cross-hatch heavy, and his character designs have their fair share of pouches, but this art is a good match for the subject matter.

BOTTOM LINE: PROMISING START

Almost a year ago, I reviewed another New 52 issue that debuted a super-secret special ops team (Blackhawks), which has already come and gone. The first appearance of Team 7 fares better, and I’m hopeful that it will live up to its early promise. Jordan’s cast is so huge on this book, I wasn’t expecting any great character development in this issue, but he was able to make the individual introductions engagingly fun. Team 7 #0 earns three stars out of five, and promises a fruitful future for the regular Team 7 ongoing. Keep your eyes peeled.

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Reader Rating
[ratings] [rating:3/5]