Eclipse; March 1983
Cover by Will Meugniot and Al Gordon
Title: “Born Orphans”
Synopsis: Five artificial teens with superpowers are created as corporate assets – but may prove to have minds of their own!
Writer: Mark Evanier
Penciler: Will Meugniot
Inker: Al Gordon
Review: DNAgents #1 offers echoes of Bronze Age Kirby, which makes sense given co-creator Mark Evanier’s history as an assistant to that legendary creator. But Evanier’s tale isn’t blessed with the King’s prescient futurism or cosmic-scaled concepts. Without such next-level vision, this series debut has a hard time transcending its occasionally clunky dialogue and less-than-subtle characterization. It also gets little lift from artist Will Meugniot; his work is serviceable but lacks power and grace. The DNAgents may eventually grow into a contender, but this first issue is forgettable fare.
Grade: C+
Cool factor: Creator-owned superhero from a growing indie publisher …
Not-so-cool factor: … that could be mistaken for a middle-of-the-pack book from the Big Two.
Notable: First appearance of the DNAgents.
Creator quotable: “I write loads of comic books and cartoon shows and TV programs. But of all the things I do, this comic may well be the most rewarding.” –Co-creator/writer Mark Evanier, on The DNAgents, from the intro essay in this issue
Character quotable: “We’re a whole lot better than human and we’ve got to remember that!” – Surge, who also claims overconfidence isn't a problem
Copyright ©2016 Off the Wahl Productions, all rights reserved. Each week, T. Andrew Wahl takes a look at a Bronze Age Fantastic First. For more reviews like this one, check out Wahl’s website, SequentialReaction.com.