DC’s fabulous freak, the original element man, is back, and he’s not alone. Old friends, new enemies and one of the more obscure heroes from the DC Universe are here too.
The action takes place in Jump City, new location for Stagg Industries, where a masked figure prowls the corridors.
Seconds later, the intruder meets Metamorpho himself, in what passes for the flesh.
And that’s the start of a mini-series by writer Al Ewing and Steve Lieber which gives us the fan favourite hero in classic form; there’s no fiddling with looks, or power set, even if Mr 3 is wittering on about some secret ‘true purpose’. Nope, we get smiling Rex Mason, as smart as he is cocky, alongside the regular supporting cast – girlfriend Sapphire Stagg, her ‘Daddy’ Simon Stagg and his defrosted Neanderthal right-hand man Java.
Much as I enjoy classic Metamorpho strips, I do like Java here, genuinely concerned for Sapphire and making a very fair point about stolen cultural artefacts. Sapphire is as dull as ever, devoted to Rex but not much use… unlike her father, a pretty terrible person but surprisingly effective against Mr 3.
C.Y.C.L.O.P.S. was an evil organisation in the original Sixties Metamorpho book, when U.N.C.L.E. mania saw DC Comics filled with evil acronymic agencies, such as V.U.L.T.U.R.E. and O.G.R.E. A more modern initialled incorporation is S.H.A.D.E., the good guy group for which Frankenstein works. And they’re the current employers of former C.I.A. agent Urania Blackwell, the Element Girl. Think Ms Metamorpho.
And who’s that surprise DC character I mentioned? Only former occult investigator Mark Merlin, in his later form of Prince Ra-Man, alongside one of his original House of Secrets villains Helio, a stooge of Eclipso.
Prince Ra-Man is an interesting choice, given his powers derive from a mystical sun, and Rex became Metamorpho via exposure to the Orb of Ra, which shows up in this very issue.
Ewing really does lean into the Sixties series, with not only a classic-splash page giving us a cast run-down, but a narration that’s a pitch perfect imitation of Bob Haney, Metamorpho’s co-creator – Ramona Fradon provided the visuals. I don’t know if younger readers will enjoy the homage, they may choke on the cheese, but I love it.
Also going fully Silver Age is letterer Ferran Delgado, who eschews the super neat word bubbles of today for balloons more shaped to the dialogue, for which he uses suitably cheery fonts.
Artist Steve Lieber delivers page after page of great storytelling that’s packed with excellent ‘acting’. His Metamorpho is spot-on, ditto Java and Simon… Sapphire looks a tad generic, demure when she should be glam with a side of trashy – she’d instantly look more herself with thicker eye-lashes. Overall, though, this is a terrific-looking book. Feel free to judge that from Lieber and colourist Lee Loughridge’s cleverly conceived and executed cover – I do like dots that recall the old Benday bit.
As for the interior work of Loughridge, he keeps things pretty naturalistic, other than in the Prince Ra-Man sequence, so of course, that’s my favourite scene.
I like that big screen recapping the Metamorpho story – one less panel and it’d have passed as an All-Star Superman tribute act. Also, Jump City is, I think, making its DC Comics debut, after originating in telly Teen Titans cartoons. And Element Woman’s famous death in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman is ignored – it can easily be filed away as a story yet to happen.
Edited by Sabrina Futch and Katie Kubert, Metamorpho #1 is a fun ride. Whether you’re a veteran reader or don’t know Metamorpho from the Metal Men, this is a comic you should try.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 
I sort of prefer Rex as a team member instead of a solo act.
Like Black Lightening, his supporting cast and antagonists are best taken in small doses.
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Makes sense, Dean. It’s funny, he was famous for saying No to the Justice League, but now he’s been with the Outsiders and Terrifics as well as the JL.
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He is an odd fit with Justice League to be sure, but I really liked him on The Outsiders and The Terrifics was a fun idea that didn’t exactly click for me.
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I love when spell check changes lightning into lightening. When I worked at Walden Books there was even an entry in our system changing a VC Andrews title into Lightening Strikes. We decided it would be a horror story about a deranged hairdresser who killed people while bleaching their hair.
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To be fair, it is a word that I definitely do not know how to spell with confidence.
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Yeah, I hated it and that’s coming from someone who has never disliked a Ewing book before ever. The dialog and captions are done in a very forced and very wrong patois. The art is very dull and uninspired. The use of Urania is a mistake since that Gaiman story was so powerful and undercuts her here, along with her looking worse than Rex. The visual from Sandman also hurts the lackluster art further when she’s on panel.
I don’t mind the kid being forgotten but Rex and Sapphire not being married? Last straw!
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I’m taking it as a timeless tale, set before Rex and Sapphire’s marriage, and Urania’s death. Or just set in a parallel DCU. And of course the heavy Zany Haney tone isn’t for everyone… possibly it’s just for me and Billy D of the Magazines and Monsters podcast. I wonder if it’s a one-issue deal.
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I liked when Haney did it, especially with Fradon art. This was a bad, bad imitation. Is Ewing under contract to only do good writing for Marvel?
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I enjoyed it but the retro dialogue/narration was a bit too much. Whatever happpened to the evil Element Woman from the Darkseid War in Geoff Johns’ Justice League run? Was she killed off? I think she was from Earth-3 if I remember right, but it would be interesting to see her turn up here.
Also, I thought this was a regular monthly series, not a mini-series. I hope it’s an ongoing because it would be nice to see some real development for Rex and his supporting cast. The first issue has them mostly playing to stereotypes, with Java being a bit of an exception as he’s portrayed smarter here than I’ve seen him in previous stories. I really hope Ewing does something interesting with Sapphire instead of just having her play the blonde bimbo.
I haven’t read the original series (though I am looking forward to the DC Finest collection coming out next year) and this is my first time encountering Prince Ra-Men. Most of my familiarity with Metamorpho comes from his time with the Justice League (Europe, then America) so I hope we get to see a Rogues Gallery for him.
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Oh, you are right it’s an ongoing, I think I just assumed mini because, well, it’s Metamorpho.
I think you’re getting Earth 0’s new Element Girl, Emily Sung, mixed up with the evil Atom lady from Earth 3, Atomica, Rhonda Pineda (I had to look up the name). I certainly do (see also Tomorrow Woman and Moon Maiden). Last I heard Emily was off with the Doom Patrol, having been convinced by Niles Caulder that she belonged there because she was an unlovable monster… same old.
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I disliked the Earth-3 Atom for the same reason I dislike every other evil counterpart who isn’t actually a version of the person on Earth-1/Prime. Their speedster was a fraud too last time too.
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I finally got my hands on a copy and…
I
loved
it!
This was like an extra issue of his original series. Except it was taking place now. I loved the dialogue. It was on the right side of groovy without falling too deep into Haneyisms.
The characterizations were spot on. In recent years, Stagg has been portrayed as “all evil all the time” and that was never really his thing. Selfish and amoral for sure… but he was never really in the Lex Luthor super villain category. Similarly, Sapphire was always an little underwritten. She was a bubble-head side piece for Rex (which is pretty much what we get here). Urania was always more of Rex’s equal.
I thought this was a fun romp and the best part (for me, anyway) is that the wait between Issue One and Two is going to be almost nothing.
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It’s great that you liked this too, I hope it’s a hit… DC must be confident given it’s intended as an ongoing.
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It’s an ongoing? For real? That’s awesome! Love that for me and love that for DC!
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So I’m told. New issue today! And it is… unread as yet.
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I picked this issue up last week, but it took a while to get around to reading it. I absolutely agree with Murray — this feels so much like a continuation of the original series! Ewing and Lieber are in top form, working in sync to make this the grooviest book on the stands!
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The first issue was a treat, and no mistake!
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Now I wanna go and dig through the back issue bin and reread the original series. In a perfect world, the newest series will do some kind of flashback that provides a resolution to the original series’ cliffhanger… but that might be asking for too much. lol
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We can dream!
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