Off The Shelf -- Infinite Frontier #0 (5:05)
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Date: March 23, 2021
By: Church of the Geek
Description: Welcome to “Off The Shelf”, our comic book reviews of recent titles. These are designed to be brief reviews of current books and series that we think you should check out.
Today, special guest contributor Pastor Will Rose from Chapel Hill, NC reviews DC Comics' Infinite Frontier #0.
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Off the Shelf, DC’s “Infinite Frontier #0”
By Will Rose
Everyone needs a good reboot every now and then.
As horrific and challenging as this global pandemic has been on so many levels, this global challenge has hopefully also given us the opportunity to pause to reflect, rethink, and re-evaluate how we navigate life, what is truly important to us, and how our gifts can contribute to a better world.
As frustrating as it can be for long time collectors, comic book publishers are constantly looking for new ways to get new readers, and to find a way to get our attention in the ever so noisy and crowded popular culture.
Infinite Frontier is another reboot from one of the oldest and well-known creators of comic books, DC.
Being a long-time collector myself I too get fatigued by the constant reboot or, “this major event will change everything!” publicity stunt the major comic book companies roll out.
But, also being a congregational pastor, I am sympathetic with the quest to grow my audience and find new ways for complacent members to get excited about the story you are trying to share.
Infinite Frontier is a great jumping on point for those looking to explore the genre of comic books for the first time or for those of us who have been reading a long time and are looking for something different and a fresh and new take on well known characters.
This reboot starts with a #0, yep… even before they get to any collector #1 issues or new story arcs, this zero-issue is a prequel and a foretaste of the fronteir to come.
This anthology issue #0 rolls out of the mega DC event “Metal” where another major crisis to the multiverse was thwarted and a new multiverse was restored where there are… (wait for it) “Infinite” possibilities for these characters that we have grown to love, or new characters that have the potential for us to fall in love with.
The premise of the book is that the huge crisis that threatened every corner of the DC universe AND multiverse was saved by Wonder Woman herself… and so now that she gets a god-like view of the newer universe that has emerged.
The book starts with this narration… “Things will never be the way they were before. We survived, and our reality has been changed forever.”
…and as I personally prepare to lead my life and a community of faith in a post-pandemic world, I feel ya DC! You got my attention.
Wonder Woman, like me who didn’t read Metal, is a little confused so she is led (with the reader in tow) by a few other god-like entities who give her brief snapshots of heroes and teams and their place in this new DC universe… well known established teams and heroes like the Justice League, the Teen Titans, Batman, and Green Lantern, to newer heroes like Wonder Girl, Stargirl, and perhaps a new Green Lantern.
The book is filled with gorgeous art from a host of creators and splash pages from the best in the business… and without spoiling it, the last page does look like a game changer.
Do you need to know everyone’s backstory? Nope.
Do you have to read all of the mega-event Metal first? Nope, I didn’t.
Do you have to like every story or character, no. They don’t expect you to, but you may discover a new creative team that gets your attention or be introduced to a character that you don’t know that much about.
I had already planned to stick with flagship titles like Batman and Superman… But I’m hopping back on Wonder Woman that has a new creative team on issue #770, and I’m hopping back on Justice League with its new lighting rod of a writer Brian Michael Bendis with issue #59.
When people ask me what my favorite super-hero is, I usually respond with “It depends on who is writing them and drawing them.”
Case in point, super-hot author Tom Taylor is teaming up the incredible artist Bruno Redondo on Nightwing, and so while I have never really read or collected the original Robin turned Nightwing, I’m going to for sure check this one out.
In a crowded market, DC is doing its best to stay at the top of the game. With this issue its clear there is an infinite frontier of storytelling laid out before us and this issue is a great jumping on point to see what paths you choose to follow…
So go exploring and have fun friends.
