John Byrne's Next Men (Bk. 1)
by John Byrne
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Book Summary Information
Author: John ByrneEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1996-01-02
ISBN: 1878574701
Number of pages: 184
Publisher: Dark Horse
Book Reviews of John Byrne's Next Men (Bk. 1)
Book Review: John Byrne at the top of his game...
Summary: 4 Stars
Most comic book fans know of writer/artist John Byrne, of his early days drawing the X-Men, of his scintillating years at the pages of the Fantastic Four, and, at DC, of his superb redefining of Superman. But that was all mainstream stuff. In the early 1990s, he explored the field of independent comics with his Next Men series. From early '92 to late '94, Dark Horse Comics published 30 issues of this title. Then, with the partial decline of the comic book industry in the mid-'90s, the series ended. Even now, his fans still wait for John Byrne to continue his Next Men stories.
There are 6 TPB volumes in total (7 if one counts 2112, which is a graphic novel prequel to NEXT MEN). Book One reprints issues #0-6 and boasts a John Byrne introduction. There's a lot of set-up in the first 30 pages of Volume 1, so bear with it. The lengthy (and maybe even plodding) back story begins in 1955 in Antarctica where awaits a frightening and monumental discovery. The story works its way down decades of scheming and skullduggery (an off-the-cuff comment reveals the "real" story behind JFK's assassination). We are introduced to the amoral, power hungry Senator Aldus Hilltop and the manipulative, vampiric Sathanas. We become privy to the maverick, mostly futile, decades-long bio-research project (dubbed Project Next Men). The story quickly gains momentum when the latest and last batch of human guinea pigs break out of their prison. So, then, we meet Nathan, Bethany, Jasmine, Jack, and Danny - the Next Men.
Some more background: For years and years, these five and many others before them have been held comatose in containment pods. But their minds roam in a shared virtual reality, wherein they interact with each other and communicate using their own terminology (where "dancing," "fade," and "reaching" have different connotations). Simultaneous to all this, comprehensive educational packages are networked to their pods, teaching and training them even as they remain blissfully unaware of the real world. When they at last awaken to reality, it's a shocker. There are seemingly only 5 survivors of Project Next Men. Nathan is the leader and has the ability to peer into the total electromagnetic spectrum. Bethany is invulnerable, but with that invulnerability comes a heavy price: she is slowly losing the ability to feel sensations. This isolates her from the rest of the group. Jasmine is a superb acrobat and is one of the most impulsive and outgoing of the bunch. Jack has super strength but dubious control over it. Danny, the youngest, is super fast which raises hell on his footwear.
Byrne is a gifted storyteller on two fronts, writing and illustrating. His pencils and inks are fabulous and distinctive. His artwork, laced with just a hint of Jack Kirby's style, is superbly ideal for the story's superheroics and science-fiction elements. Story-wise, Byrne once again excels at world-building. Here he explores themes which are darker and more mature in nature, something of which blessings Marvel or DC might have withheld. He infuses a sense of "reality" - what would superheroes be really like if situated in our world - not only by placing his characters on an Earth meagerly inhabited by costumed crimefighters but by also having these characters avoid playing out the typical comic book script.
Part of the fun lies in having these innocent kids experience normal reality and then apply it to their own eschewed worldview. As they try to adapt, they fall prey to deception and temptation and their relationships become confused and strained. Byrne burrows deep into what makes the Next Men tick and carefully lays out the repercussions stemming from their powers and then from their actions. And that's not even yet factoring in the inevitable interferences by supervillains and shadowy government entities. As Senator Hilltop inexorably rises to power and Sathanas's decades-long master plan continues to unfold, we find the Next Men simply seeking to make sense of things and find their place in the world. Of course, the world isn't about to leave them alone.
Some of the better stories I've read have come from independent comic books. I remember the Elementals, the Justice Machine, Grimjack, Airboy, and Mage, to name only a few. Not being protected by one of the big two comics corporations must give the independent comic book artist a sensation of being out on the edge, and sometimes this gets the juices flowing even more. Byrne has a fondness for the Fantastic Four and Superman, true, but the Next Men title is his baby and he puts his all into it. He takes the time to develop his story and his characters, and the result is something which rewards us with more depth while retaining the classic superhero elements. The Next Men tales come out as darker, more edgy stuff. The issues in this collection serves to lay down the structure of the Next Men universe, and yet - as the frightened and disoriented Next Men desperately make their getaway and have a faceoff of sorts in the desert - there's enough action here to sate the comic book fan (Bethany, in particular, doesn't hold back with her powers). Look for further volumes as this series only gets better.
Summary of John Byrne's Next Men (Bk. 1)
Five mutates from Project Next Men escape the elaborate decades-long secret experiment to find themselves in a completely unfamiliar world. During a mysterious encounter in the desert, Bethany, Nathan, Danny, Jack, and Jazz begin to realize that they have been locked in a shared fantasy-world. Now they must come to terms with the real world and their strange powers before their former captors track them down. Featuring a new painted cover by John Byrne.Graphic Novels Books
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