Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma #1 review

Mitch Shelley is back. Every time he dies, he returns with a new super power. In the past death has come with alarming frequency, as he found himself dragged into one battle after another. It’s a while since the heroes of the DC Universe have heard from him. He’s been taking a break.

Sneaking off into the night, Mitch dies, and is reborn.

Waiting to greet Mitch is a stranger, their face and form hidden by cowl and robe. They tell Mitch that because he was killed this time by the passing of the years he has a power connected to Time. What that is, is not stated, but Mitch is taken to a clockwork realm where the mystery person introduces themselves slightly more fully.

‘Every universe’ implies that this is the same Mitch from the original Nineties Resurrection Man series by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Jackson Guice and its New 52 revival. That’s great, I do love a throughline. And this Black Label mini-series kicks off with a nod to the original run in the shape of a cracking intro page by the veteran Guice.

But what’s the deal with Shesha, whose name comes from Hindu mythology? I must admit, the robes, the flash in his eyes and the talk of destiny had me thinking it was Destiny of the Endless. Apparently not… but, like Destiny, they have a tale to tell.

The man we know as Mitch Shelley was a PoW, emaciated, desperate, but still a hero.

Cannibalism among the Imperial Japanese forces? I had indeed heard stories, but only linked to survival; here the act seems to be about pleasure and power.

But will consuming the flesh of the Resurrection Man confer power on the camp boss who orders the feast? Is the reminder of his past somehow going to persuade Mitch to embrace the path of the hero once more. And is Shesha on the level about a massive threat Mitch must face or has he another agenda?

Well, writer Ram V has grabbed me with this one. I’ve been a Resurrection Man fan from the start, and this continuation honours what’s come before while hinting at new directions. For one thing, what’s with the subtitle, Quantum Karma? Is Mitch going to be linked to Captain Atom, who’s powered by the Quantum Field? Who is going to find karma hitting them in the face? If nothing else, the Hindu symbol for karma Mitch now bears looks good, and of course, resurrection is one of Hinduism’s core beliefs

The idea of Mitch being tired of the Good vs Evil rollercoaster makes sense, and I like the notion he grabbed a few decades of joy in between reincarnations, even if that meant spending years in another version of Earth (and maybe it didn’t, I don’t think we have enough information to know yet).

Mitch’s musings on living and forgetting are interesting in themselves, more so if you bear the pain of Alzheimer’s in mind.

I’ve often found Ram V a tad wordy, but here he’s pared back the wordage and allowed artist Anand RK to show what he can do. And that’s a lot, from fairytale renewal to photorealistic studies. Mitch looks great in the three incarnations we find him in here, and I hope we see him in his classic overcoat and hat soon. The New Guinea flashback looks great, helped by the thoughtful colours of Mike Spicer, while the letters of Aditya Bidikar have a lovely handwritten look.

The only thing I dislike are the occasional empty faces; maybe it’s a subtle nod to a fear of Alzheimer’s, of forgetting what people looked like, but loads of artists do this and it just looks odd.

The cover Illustration by the very talented Jeff Dèkal shows a surprisingly slick Mitch, I’m used to him as the scrappy type – hopefully it’s story related rather than a choice.

You don’t need to have read previous runs to jump into this issue, if you’re intrigued, give it a go. With three of the creators – Ram V, Anand RK and Aditya Bidikar – being Indian, the karma may not be instant but it’s coming.