When I see a long-lived character get a great update, I love it! That’s what happened with The Owl. The initial four-issue miniseries just concluded this week.
SUMMARY
Pros
It explores the question, what would happen to a hero transplanted from the past into today’s crime-fighting environment?
This comic does an excellent job of telling the reader everything needed to know to “get” what’s happening.
Cons
It’s only a mini-series right now, but it could be a great ongoing comic!
[rating:overall]
READER RATING!
[ratings]
THE OWL #4
Writer: J.T. Krul
Artist: Heubert Khan Michael
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in THE OWL: Lost for fifty years in an ethereal limbo, the Owl has come back to find a violent and desperate world of strangers. The woman he loved is gone, but he remains determined to continue his fight for justice. Can the Owl withstand the challenges awaiting him… or will this new reality crush his body and spirit?
As I mentioned a couple of months ago, I actually read The Owl comics from Dell way back in the 1960s. That was when Batman was hot on ABC, and every comics company was attempting to develop their own “Caped Crusader.” There was money to be had in superhero comics, especially ones that had heroes resembling Batman. That series didn’t last long, sadly, but it made a lasting impression on me.
I was thrilled when I heard he was going to fly back into my reading experience!
A STRONG PREMISE AND PLOTTING
What fascinated me about this book was that it compared the “heroes” of today with the “heroes” of yesterday. Would Adam West’s Batman try to arrest Scott Snyder’s version of the character because the differences were so great?
“With a character like the Owl, I get to explore the heart of a true hero whose greatest threat seems to be the soul of the entire world around him,” said Krul in a press release. “Nick Terry used to live in a golden age it seemed, but he now finds himself in our present day – and a world filled with greed, apathy, and utter desperation at every turn. It’s the mark of a true hero, staying true to one’s ideals when there is little hope to be found. In this story, he’ll see what his mission and legacy has become and it will scare him more than anything else.”
During much of the series, it’s been The Owl versus Owl Girl, the descendent of the original crime-fighter. The pacing and the characterization has been strong, with the two representing different eras in comics history. Personalizing this conflict really brought things home for me.
SO, WHAT ABOUT OWL GIRL?
Here’s how the fourth issue is described: “When Owl Girl tries to kill Jasper in order to bring the mob war to an end, the only thing standing in her way is the Owl. But if she won’t listen to reason, how far will the Owl go to stop her? It’s Owl vs. Owl Girl as Dynamite’s latest hit series comes to its explosive conclusion!”
The art continues to explode off the pages, and I found all four issues page-turners! I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.
BOTTOM LINE: KEEP MAKING MORE OF THE OWL!
I wouldn’t spoil the end, but let’s say that each of the main characters move farther into a specific direction. Also, the conflict between The Owl and Owl Girl may not yet be completed!
I will say that it’s a satisfying conclusion on many levels. I particularly was taken by the fact that putting the two characters together in this way caused them both to move and change going forward. Character development – what a concept!
I loved this update for a classic hero. I would beg Dynamite to make more because I’m sure Mr. Krul and company have other stories that many of us would like to dive into.
If you’d like to find out more about this comic, find and “like” their Facebook page. You might also discover more at the Dynamite site, who publishes the book.
It’s a story that answers many questions and sets up others for the future, so it gets 5 out of 5 stars from me!
[rating:5/5]