Challengers of the Unknown #1 review

Posted on by martingray1

I love the Challengers of the Unknown, those adventurers who live ‘on borrowed time’. It’s been a while since they’ve had a book, so this mini-series went straight onto my Must Buy list. They’ve had a few minis over the last few decades but never earned an ongoing, so here DC Editorial pushes the nuclear button to get eyes on the book by adding Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman as temporary members.

I see the point, but I pulled a face. And I’m not the only one.

Mr Terrific. Or Mr Obnoxious?

So what’s the challenge that’s so big that Ace, Rocky, June, Prof and Red may need a hand from a Justice Leaguer? I mean, you could argue that they’re more impressive than the metahumans as, without powers, they’ve saved the Earth from massive monsters and advancing aliens dozens of times.

After-effects of the recent incursion into the Justice League Watchtower by Darkseid. ‘Anomolies’ across the universe, as mentioned by Mr O, have appeared, and while superheroes are on the scene, they need investigating by experts in the Unknown. The Great Blue Hole, a massive marine sinkhole off Belize, is sending out a strange radio signal. An asteroid near Neptune is showing signs of life. Creatures on Dinosaur Island are getting more intelligent. And on Mars, a seemingly impenetrable glass structure has appeared.

This last is assigned to the Challs’ resident pilot Ace Morgan, and he has quite the passenger.

It’s safe to say the sortie isn’t without drama, as Ace and Superman join Miss Martian at the mystery structure. And I recommend hugely that you buy this issue and get it all first hand. Writer Christopher Cantwell does an excellent job of reintroducing the classic Challengers team and making them relevant to the current DC Universe. He’s a DC newcomer, but certainly knows his stuff, noting such things as Ace’s shared background with Hal Jordan – both Top Guns before they were heroes, they know each other of old.

And it’s great that the Challs aren’t thralls to the Big Leaguers. June, for one, is suspicious.

Those Challs-style outfits the Big Three are wearing are rather fun. As already seen, Superman agrees.

Well, purple isn’t that far from pink.

And doesn’t it look good, courtesy of artist Sean Izaakse and colourist Romulo Fajardo Jr? Izaakse is a first-rate storyteller, adept at characters and compositions, and it’s a treat to see he has another regular assignment after his recent stint on Green Arrow. One thing I like a lot is that Izaakse has Ace and Superman smiling as they head for Mars, revelling in the joy of exploration. Later, when the mood gets rather darker, he perfectly conveys what the fairest fellow is going through in ‘The Secret Life of Ace Morgan’. Fajardo enhances the mood with carefully chosen tones. And keep an eye out for their frankly fearsome Darkseid.

On letters we have Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, who eschews word balloons on occasion for simple pointers and dialogue against the white background. I love the look, which manages to evoke pulp stories and indie books at the same time.

How about that cover from illustrator Mike Deodato Jr and colourist Jão Canola? It’s an in-yer-face gem, the only thing wrong being that Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman are bigger than the regular Challs… I know what I said at the start, but come on! Good logo.

I don’t know how long this series is running, but given we have five featured Challs – another, Kenn, is having his own moment in The Question mini-series – I suspect they’ll get one spotlight issue each and come together for an issue six finale. Based on this first issue, a great-looking, engrossing chapter full of promising story points, I’ll be there for it, cheering.

22 thoughts on “Challengers of the Unknown #1 review”

  1. I discovered the Challs with that long ago reprint series and loved them. There was that revival (Nasser was on art, right?) and I loved that too. So I was prepared for the worst.

    See, I remember all the Challenger appearances that tried to update the concept and changed the wrong things. New members that didn’t fit the spirit of the originals and super-hero science updates that were baffling. All they needed was modern production value basically. Make the Challs feel real and not Silver Age DC archetypes. If the team kept their core characterization but written better like the ongoing heroes had gotten once the Schwartz Era ended at DC it would have been enough.

    I was worried for no reason. It’s the old team written as realistic people facing, um, challenges. The science of it all never mattered. It was how they dealt with it all that did. I loathed Cantwell’s Iron Man run (enough to stop reding it) but here he gets how to use the team. The art is pretty damn good too. I’m just at a loss at the hinted at secret old enemy involved though. I suspected A-V-M Man until Google reminded me he was a Doom Patrol foe. Now I’m disappointed he won’t be revived like the classic Challs since this issue was so damn good.

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    1. I was going to say, Cantwell is a bit hit and miss with me, especially that Iron Man run which I similarly bailed out on early, so I didn’t automatically buy this although I always want to support the Challs (like the Metal Men). But glad to hear this is good!

      Stu

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    2. How excellent that the issue landed to you too… but where is there a hint of an old enemy? I’ve just been back through the issue twice and can’t find the reference… I’m so dumb!

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      1. The solicit: But a mysterious foe from the Challengers’ past lurks in the shadows, and its connection to the godshock will put the DCU on borrowed time!

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  2. Clark probably likes purple because it’s Lois’s favorite color. Not to mention the color of her eyes (at least usually, in modern comics and animation).

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  3. Glad you liked it! I love the Chals too and was intrigued by this. Cantwell wrote a well-received short Challengers story in the Worlds Finest Annual several months back.

    But to be honest I’m having a real hard time getting into anything that in some way revolves around the All In Special/Darkseid’s “death.” DC editorial is certainly “all in” on making that the focus of this new publishing initiative and, likely, whatever the next big crisis/event is. It just doesn’t interest me. I’m not really intrigued or excited about it, and that unfortunately impacts my feelings about any of these new books/relaunches/minis.

    -Brian

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    1. I’m already getting a bit Darkseided out – just let the guy sit in an armchair for awhile. I’d forgotten Cantwell wrote that WF Challs story… that’s where the ‘The time is NOW’ would-be catchphrase comes from!

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  4. I didn’t get to read this immediately when it came out, but I went to the comic shop this weekend and was pleased to find this waiting for me (Metamorpho, though, didn’t arrive for some reason, so I must wait another week to enjoy that gem).

    This is mostly what I want from a Challengers book. I don’t love that the other heroes are shoehorned into the story but if that’s what it takes to get a few more eyes on the book then I’m cool with it.

    I agree that Mr. Terrific is coming across terribly, but I figure it’s in service of the story. All of the Challs are grumbling about stuff happening under the surface so I figure it’s got to be leading somewhere.

    I was worried that each issue would be focused on one Challenger and their hero sidekick to the exclusion of the other characters, but this first issue gave most of them something to say or do.

    I do like that it looks like we’re going to be exploring different locales in the DCU. That will be fun.

    All the jibber jabber about Darkseid is mostly maguffin material to move the story along so I can take it for what it is.

    The art was great! I’m looking heard to seeing where this story takes us.

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    1. I love your positivity, Murray, keep that going I’m 2025!

      The only thing I’d disagree with is the idea that Mr T’s behaviour is acceptable because it’s moving the story forward – he needs a good talking to! Whatever happened to the alternate world Mrs T from the Terrifics?

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      1. I suspect that we’ve see the last of Mrs. Terrific (and all the rest of the characters introduced during that initiative – which is a shame because there were some interesting concepts would could easily be folded into current day DC).

        It’s pretty easy to stay positive about DC right now. Over the last year, they’ve started pulling more of the toys out of their toybox and I’m here for it. We’ve had the Doom Patrol get a mini. The Challengers and Metamorpho are currently on deck. Gimme some Metal Men and Elongated Man and I’d be pretty content.

        I mean… I’d love to see the Legion, but I figure that’s a lost cause at the moment. 🙂

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      2. Legion either needs Hickman or a marketable tie to present day. The latter would have to be something like Superboy being a popular character and a member every issue. Maybe Damian (ugh) could pop back and forth between times on a regular basis? He has more qualifications than Karate Kid for membership.

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      3. I’ll take the ‘marketable tie to the present day’, anything but Hickman. I tried his FF, his Avengers, his X-Men but didn’t last more than a year with any… the overcomplicated mega-stories and graphics just bored me, the things felt soulless.

        Also, if you’re married to Medusa, you do not take extra wives.

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      4. I feel like it’s all been downhill for Medusa since long ago when they made her an Inhuman. She went from delightfully evil and a powerful character to Black Bolt’s appendage.

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      5. It is fun to see some of the B and C characters getting play. I’d love to see some of the Nineties and Noughts folk back, like Primal Force and Power Company.

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      6. I honestly don’t get why it’s so hard to bring back the Legion, they were so big for so long. DC had a great modern version with the Zero Hour/DNA mob, they shouldn’t have let Geoff Johns muddy them into obscurity.

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  5. @Steve I know of quite a few people have expressed interest in seeing Hickman on the Legion. I’m not sure his style works for me. It’s a little too clinical and cold. But I’d certainly give it a shot

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Published by martingray1

Journalist, comic reviewer, theatre critic, film lover, biscuit fan, cat indulger