DCU Comic Book Reviews

FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MAN #30

In My Father's House, Part Three

December 2006

Written by Stuart Moore

Pencils by Jamal Igle & Steve Sadowski

Inks by Keith Champagne

Cover by Brian Stelfreeze

Synopsis

Last year...Lorraine Reilly (aka Firehawk) makes a campaign speech in Central Park for her election to the U.S. Senate.  Today...the Pionic Man has been released from his containment field and he charges directly towards to Jason Rusch (aka Firestorm) to...give him a hug.  After spending 18 months trapped in the containment field, the Pionic Man has come to learn to love himself and what he has become.  They also learn that the Pionic Man was given his powers against his will at Hewitt Enterprises, the same place where Lorraine became Firehawk against her will.  While Lorraine, Professor Stein, and Mikhail Arkadin (aka Pozhar) decide to check out Hewitt Enterprises, Jason decides he wants to find Gehenna.  Using Firestorm’s ability to track cell phones, Jason finds Gehenna at a cafe.  The two reconcile.  Meanwhile, the others learn that Henry Hewitt his dead and that his son has divested the company from nuclear experiments.  Elsewhere, Jason and Gehenna investigate a location that might contain nuclear weapons.  Instead, they find Tokomak, the Human Reactor!

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Overall, this was another solid issue in this storyline.  While I found the speech by Lorraine at the beginning to be a little extraneous, I am confident that Moore will manage to tie it back into the main plot.  Even if it doesn’t, I still have to commend Moore for working in Lorraine's father to the speech.  This entire arc has been dealing with family obligations (and in particular fathers).  From Lorraine's dad, to Jason’s dad, even to Gehenna’s “dad” who created her, and now in this issue, Henry Hewitt who can be seen as the father for both Firehawk and the Pionic Man.  I am curious to see where this leads and how the thematic elements of the story will come together. 

A couple of other small points:  first, I like how both Martin and Lorraine are totally behind Jason and his abilities.  They do not hesitate to answer positively when Pozhar questions Jason’s temper and ability with regards to being Firestorm.  Second, when Jason went off on his own, I liked how Martin did not give him grief or give him a lecture.  This tells me that Martin trusts Jason and respects the decisions he has made.  Third, I liked the tidbit that Jason is getting training while outside of the Firestorm matrix.  This little touch was not needed, perhaps, but it does show that Jason is growing in his role and realizing he needs to commit himself not only as Firestorm but also when he is Jason Rusch. 

I am, however, a little confused about the ending.  It just seemed to come out of nowhere and it did not seem to be set up by the events in the preceding pages.  My first reaction to Tokomak was that it was the younger Hewitt, but after reading the dialogue it is obviously the father.  He is the one who has been watching the events and commenting on them as well as building the Dollies.  In fact, it looks as if Tokomak came from the big dollie in the sky.