Steelworks #1 review

John Henry Irons, genius engineer and sometime superhero Steel, has an announcement to make. He plans to make a better Metropolis, a safer city. Too many times the ‘City of Tomorrow’ has been razed by powerful, malevolent threats. Too many times the people have lost everything, from property to lives. But now, with access to a near infinite power source brought back from Warworld by Superman, protective barriers can be added to the city and free power given to the citizens. Who doesn’t want that?

Shawn Kerry could be happier. He’s not a fan of John Henry.

Unlike Steel’s niece Natasha who, as the female Steel, accompanied Superman on his successful quest to free the prisoners of Warworld from cosmic despot Mongul. Natasha’s the second person with whom John shares full details of his blueprint for a better Metropolis. He wants people to have enough personal power that they don’t have to depend upon the Super Family.

And who did Steel tell before Natasha? His fiancée Lana Lang.

There’s one more important player this issue, one Charles Walker III. He wants to work with Kerry who, it turns out, used to work for the arms manufacturer Steel designed for before its shady ways led him to walk away.

What does Walker want of Kerry? Will Kerry play ball? Buy this excellent Dawn of DC debut issue and find out. It’s the best first issue from DC Comics in ages, much better than I was expecting given the lead-in strips in recent issues of Action Comics, which came from an entirely different creative team. There’s a little overlap with this comic but the stories don’t quite match up and you’re better off not seeking out the Steel back-ups. Come in clean here and enjoy a well-worked script by first-time DC writer Michael Dorn.

You likely know the name – he played Worf in Star Trek but he’s also done loads of voices for DC cartoon shows, including John in Superman: The Animated Series. Knowledge of Steel and his actor’s ear for a good script may explain the better-than-average dialogue in Steelworks #1. I really believed in the relationships between Steel and Natasha, and Steel and Lana.

Steel and Lana! They were a couple years ago in the underrated Superwoman series but I never expected that to be mentioned again. But here they are, stronger together than ever. And I love it, so far as a couple of 2D drawings can, they have real chemistry.

The first time Walker appears in the issue we see only the glint of his glasses in a darkened car. Toyman! But he’s not. Maybe he’ll turn out to be a relative of Winslow Schott, but new characters are good too. And this one exudes smug evil.

I hate the new look for Natasha as Steel which debuted in Action a few months ago, it’s decidedly sinister, but at least I recognise her personality – in the aforementioned Action back-ups it’s like there’s a 14-year-old street tough behind the mask. I’m excited to see what Dorn does with her, Natasha is a fabulous character – a strong, smart, savvy young woman – and the more we see of her in the DCU, the better. Heck, maybe she’ll get back together with urban witch Traci Thirteen, they made a great team.

Good on Natasha for not outright laughing when John said he wanted to give up being Steel. That never works. Mind, the idea that the Supers could do less in Metropolis is sound, there are far too many in one place, let’s spread them out… at least one per continent would make sense (as I have in my Action reviews I ask, what the heck is New Super-Man Kenan Kong doing so far from China?).

Walker refers to the way John left weapons firm AmerTek and it doesn’t match his origin as I read it in the Nineties… has that changed in the last few years? If not, I’m sure Dorn has a reason for tweaking John’s background.

Questions questions, I am officially engaged. Dorn has delivered a fine first issue script.

As for the art, I’m always very pleased to see the slick stylings of former Power Girl illustrator Sami Basri. His versions of familiar characters are spot on, with John, especially, dripping with charisma. The body language is terrific, as seen, for one, in the John/Lana scene, while little details such as John Henry’s Steel logo-shirt (want one!) add to the enjoyment. In an issue where every page is a pleasure I was especially knocked out by a two-page spread of Super Family flashbacks – the composition is powerful and everyone looks amazing.

Colourist Andrew Dalhousie works hard to enhance Basri’s work. The tone choices, the lighting, it’s all great. And not only does letterer Rob Leigh go the extra mile with the dialogue and narration, here showing us how drunk balloons can be done, he always contributes an imaginative title design.

Three text pages act like Who’s Who in Metropolis Mayhem, showing different threats that have previously led to massive loss of life and property damage, illuminating John’s thought processes. Here’s one.

Lena Luthor! Of all the characters Dorn could have chosen we get another callback to the Superwoman series… I reckon our writer was a fan. Hopefully this means Lena is on her way back.

Clay Mann’s cover, coloured by Alejandro Sanchez, is surprisingly rough hewn. I’m used to slickness from Mann, and Steel is a character who invites a sleek finish… is this a case of a special shiny physical treatment not translating to digital? Still, it’s an eye-catching design with the unusual placement of the sharp logo helping – good choices from editors Jillian Grant and Paul Kaminski.

I don’t know if this comic is limited run or ongoing. Based on this debut, I truly hope for the latter.