It seems like only yesterday that the Milestone Universe debuted, but that’s mostly because this reviewer is old. Your Major Spoilers review of Milestone 30th Anniversary Special #1 from DC and Milestone Comics awaits!

MILESTONE 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1

Writer: Evan Narcisse/Stephanie Williams/Nikolas Draper-Ivey
Penciler: Atagun Ilhan/Chriscross/Yasmin Flores Montanez/Nikolas Draper-Ivey
Inker: Dexter Vines/Juan Castro/Norm Rapmund/Atagun Ilhan/Chriscross
Colorist: Chris Sotomayor/Noelle Giddings/Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letterer: Andworld Design
Editor: Chris Conroy & Marquis Draper
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $9.99
Release Date: March 21, 2023

Previously in Milestone: In 1993, the city of Dakota became home to a number of superhumans. Stepping from the shadows with his sidekick, Rocket, the alien hero known as Icon flew through the skies. Empowered by tainted tear gas, the gang members of the Blood Syndicate declared Paris Island their turf. Betrayed by his employer, Hardware used his technologically advanced armor to seek revenge. With the power of electromagnetism at his literal fingertips, a young teenager sought justice as Static, reminding wrongdoers that if they don’t start none, there won’t be none. But that was then…

THE RETURN OF A FORGOTTEN FOE

Our story begins on Earth-93, the world of modern Milestone Comics, as a young man named Fred Bentsen deals with the fallout (both emotional and physical) of participation in the Big Bang. As his mother reminds him to take his medication, Fred simply disappears. As he goes, though, the heroes of Dakota go with him, with Icon, Rocket, Static, Hardware, and the Blood Syndicate vanishing as well, only to reappear on a different Earth, designated Earth-1993. There, they meet their doppelgangers from the original Milestone Universe, where it’s still the mid-90s, and the heroes vaguely remember something similar happening with other heroes at the hands of a villain called… RIFT! The second feature is a story set in the future of the Justice League Unlimited universe of Earth-12, featuring an adult Static advising Terry McGinnis as Batman, followed by a different future where Rocket has graduated to the role of Icon. The most intriguing for me, though, is the epilogue to the recent Blood Syndicate mini, featuring the reveal that Earth-93 has its own version of Dharma, the enigmatic leader of the Shadow Cabinet.

SHOULD THE NEW MYTH SUPPLANT THE OLD?

As someone who remembers the debut of the Milestone titles from my college days, I appreciate the fact that this special makes it 100% clear that those original versions DO still exist in the greater Multiverse. Static is amused to find that his alternate Earth-1993 self is even MORE geeky than he is, while the differences in the Big Bang are called out both textually and metatextually. Perhaps my favorite part of the issue, though, comes in the method used to defeat the Rift(s), using the assembled heroes to great effect without resulting in the all-out combat trope that so often ends these stories. The number of artists involved in the story is almost equal to the number of heroes in play, but there’s never a moment where the transition between creators is jarring enough to pull me out of the story. There’s even a preview of an upcoming Static Shock graphic novel set in the cartoon continuity which looks like something I’m going to want to pick up.

BOTTOM LINE: WORTH THE INFLATED PRICE TAG

All in all, Milestone 30th Anniversary Special #1 does a good job of acknowledging and celebrating the various pieces of Milestone history, calling out 1993 Hardware for being a bitter jerk, and demonstrating the things (and the creators) that have made Milestone memorable, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. It’s a book that reminds me how long a span of time thirty years actually is, but best of all, it makes it clear that DC has continuing plans for these characters and Earth-93. That’s probably the best celebration of all.

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