Squadron Supreme 2 #1 – Review

By Howard Chaykin (Writer) and Marco Turini (Artist), Guru-EFX (colors)

Marvel’s track record on its reinvention of the Squadron Supreme has been decidedly uneven, from Straczynski’s masterful 18-issue miniseries—perhaps the best interpretation of Superman’s origin ever—to the bombastic Ultimate Power, which proved that it is, in fact, possible to have too much of a good thing. So where does the new Squadron Supreme mini-series fall? Honestly, it’s too soon to tell. It could be great, or it could suck.

This time the Supreme storyline careens off on yet another direction: the introduction of duplicates of heroes from the Marvel universe. Personally, I think it’s a bad idea. The special appeal of the Supreme universe is that there are only a few super-beings. The dramatic tension is not between good and evil; it’s between normal and godlike. On the other hand, the characters are kind of cool. The female version of Spider-man is as creepy as a human arachnid should be, and the ersatz Captain America is literally wrapped in tattered flags.

This issue also reintroduces Emil Burbank, still the most irritating super-villain in this or any other universe. He’s an evil genius who’s only superficial evil, and not that great a genius. Somehow, despite causing the deaths of millions of people in Ultimate Power, he’s free again and working for the government. Beside him is Nick Fury. How did Fury end up here? Don’t ask me. I’m still trying to figure out how he regrew that arm he lost at the end of Ultimates 2.

The book is written by Howard Chaykin, so the script is naturally peppered with sexism, homophobia, and racism. But it’s so toned down for a mainstream audience that it’s neither particularly offensive, nor particularly funny, nor particularly sexy. The good news is that the bodies in the suspension chambers on the last page indicate that this mini-series will finally wrap up the King Hyperion story line started way back in 2005 (you know, the one where Hyperion brainwashes everyone, like in the Gruenwald version).

So… As good as the original Supreme Power? Or as bad as the Doctor Spectrum mini-series? Stay tuned to find out. (Grade: B)

– Andrew C. Murphy