Written by Michael Dorn

Art by Sam Basri

Colours by Andrew Dalhouse

Letters by Rob Leigh

DC

John Henry Irons opens a new chapter in his life as a hero and a new chapter in the life of his home city.

The problem with utopian heroes is they rarely build utopias. This first issue addresses that head on as Dorn re-casts Irons as the man of the people he was always destined to be. John Henry has come a long way from his birth as a replacement Superman and Dorn shows us all that here. This is Irons as a mature hero, a man who knows what het their very existence changes society and that the true responsibility of a hero is to address and accelerate that change. Irons has always been a great character but here he feels like what he always deserved to be; a major player.

In one issue Irons, and Dorn, change Metropolis in fascinating ways. The idea of the Super family being part of the city but not its pinnacle is especially well relied and the supporting cast help with that. Nat, Irons’ daughter, is born to the world he chose and has a very different view. Lana Lang too, cast here in a distinctly Pepper Pottsian role, grounds Irons and the book smartly.

Smart is the best word to describe the whole thing. Dorn is good, the script sense but light on its feet and full of ideas. His Irons is a revelation; a man finally comfortable in his suit and surprised to see it isn’t the suit he was expecting. Dorn knows a bit about large clever men who move beyond their combative pasts and it shows. Although while swords are fun, it’s clear that on occasion, so are hammers.

That intelligence is borne out by the villain of the piece too, who manages to be a credible threat in a handful of pages.

Basri’s art is just as clever, with a light utopian touch that shows you what Metropolis can be and doesn’t shy away from what it is. Dalhouse’s bright colours build on that and Leigh’s letters give every characters’ voice a different tone.

Verdict: DC are trying a lot of new things this year and it’s to be commended. This is, by some distance, one of the most successful experiments so far and I look forward to seeing it continue. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart