"Building a Better Firestorm, Book One: The Chalk Circle" (23 pages)

FIRESTORM #21 REVIEW
January 21st 2006, 08:23 PM
Review by: Matt DeWoskin
Quick Rating: Good

Title: Building a Better Firestorm, Book One: The Chalk Circle
Writer: Stuart Moore
Pencils: Jamal Igle & Eddy Barrows
Inks: Rob Stull
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: Travis Lanham
Cover: Jamal Igle & Keith Champagne (with special thanks to George Perez)
Editors: Stephen Wacker & Michael Siglain
Publisher: DC Comics

(excerpt)

The artwork was actually fairly slick on this issue, despite the guest penciller brought in to draw the meat of this issue. Igle only drew the opening sequence, supposedly to keep the next few issues of this title on schedule. Igle was able to give the opening sequence and old school feel. It looked like an sequence from the previous volumes of Firestorm, just with slicker inks. Eddy Barrows did a nice job filling in. He used Igle's character designs, so there is nothing really groundbreaking there. A big highlight of this issue was the way Jason's dad handled the news of Jason's death. From a visual standpoint, it's handled in a tasteful manner that still manages to deliver without being over the top. The cover to this looks like something that was a lot of fun to draw and the George Perez influence is very evident, even without the special thanks at the end.

Firestorm #21
Posted: Thursday, January 26
By: Jason Sacks

(excerpt)

When I saw the cover for this issue on the web several months ago, I knew I had to buy this issue. It's a clever takeoff on the cover to Crisis on Infinite Earths #7, the issue where Supergirl dies. You probably know the cover, since it's appeared about a zillion times. It's the one where Superman, in tears, holds the dead body of Supergirl, while dozens of heroes stand, mourning, on the cliffs and hills behind him. Well, on this cover Firestorm in tears, holds the dead body of Firestorm, while dozens of other Firestorms stand, mourning, on the cliffs and hills behind him. Each Firestorm looks just a little different from the next. There's a lion-faced Firestorm and a Firestorm with a Superman "s" on his chest. There are Firestorms with puffy sleeves and others with no sleeves. The cover is pure geeky greatness.

The cover to Firestorm #21 is an homage to George Perez's cover to CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #7 (Oct 1985).

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FIRESTORM #21
Tuesday, October 18, 2005 9:56:29 AM
Written by Stuart Moore; Art by Jamal Igle, Eddy Barrows and Rob Stull; Cover by Igle and Keith Champagne

Beginning the epic that will redefine the Nuclear Man: "Building a Better Firestorm!" Following the catastrophic events of INFINITE CRISIS #4, a stunned Jason Rusch takes a fateful journey through Firestorm's past, present � and future!
DC Universe | 32pg. | Color | $2.50 US
On Sale January 4, 2006