Writer: Justin Jordan
Pencils: Jesus Merino
Inks: Norm Rapund and Rob Hunter
Colors: Nathan Eyring
Letters: Pat Brosseau
Assistant Editor: Darren Shan
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: Ken Lashley
(No Spoilers)
Zero Month in the New 52 also brings a new wave of books with it and one of those is Team 7; a legendary team from the old Wildstorm Universe. Much like a Mission Impossible movie, Justin Jordan is tasked with introducing (or re-introducing) lots of characters in this book. It’s a fast-paced issue that does its job well by not only being an awesome origin issue but also a great jumping on point for anyone who wants another chance to get into the New 52.
I have to start off by saying Team 7 was one of my favorite books in the original Wildstorm Universe. It was the genesis for a lot of the characters then and its repercussions were felt throughout that universe from then on. It was smart of DC to keep the spirit of that idea by having a mixture of established DC characters, some original Team 7 members from Wildstorm, and then a few new characters sprinkled in just for good measure. The idea that the government would put together a team to defend against what they perceive as the superhuman threat makes so much sense.
Another plus for me in this book was seeing one of my favorite Wildstorm characters of all-time, John Lynch. He was basically the Nick Fury of the WSU and popped up all the time through many of the Wildstorm titles. It was appropriate that he’s the one putting the team together but instead of being out in the field himself. he’s letting Black Canary do that (yes, I know she’s hasn’t officially assumed that mantle at this time). She was a good thread through this story as we see her recruiting the different members. They even pick up threads from Birds of Prey concerning her future husband, Kurt Lance. Jordan has done well to keep all these stories from the past year straight.
As much as I enjoyed the book, my one nitpick is I’m not a big fan of Jesus Merino’s art. I saw his art in the early issues of Superman and he is a decent artist, but a lot of his work just falls flat for me. The opening pages with Lynch were awesome but as the issue progressed, I just liked it less and less. It is by no means bad art. It’s just not my favorite. Again, I’ll admit it’s just a nitpick because I really did enjoy the book.
As a zero issue, this was done well. It introduced everyone and set things up for next month’s issue one. Overall, it was good but not great. I think after I read #1 next month I may come to appreciate the zero issue more. But unlike some of the other zero issues which had twelve issues precede them, this book had the luxury of actually starting off fresh. I am so happy to have this team in the New 52 and I look forward to see where Jordan takes us.
7 out of 10 (Above Average)