Stormwatch #3

stormwatch-3-coverAs Apollo heads into space to try and destroy the meteors hurtling towards Earth the rest of the team jumps to Colorado where the first meteor has landed and a giant space monster is now on the loose.

The third issue of the series isn’t awful, but it is disappointing in several ways. With the exception of the Eminence of Blades on the moon and Apollo in deep space the team looks rather pathetic against the first big threat we see them come across. I’m thinking that’s maybe not how you want to showcase a team just taking its first steps into the proper DCU.

I’v also less than happy with the literal translation of Jack Hawksmoor‘s ability to talk to cities. A better writer would understand that this refers to the character’s innate understanding of what is going on in cities with a connection that can’t actually be expressed. Writer Paul Cornell’s much more literally version is Jack actually talking to female avatars of cities in an awkward attempt to explain his powers. Ugh.

As the team jumps into battle the Projectionist remains on the ship and tries to hide the moon attacking the Earth from everyone on the planet. For the sake of argument let’s say she can stop the news and Internet from picking up on the situation of a giant space monster and the Martian Manhunter can psychically have people in the area evacuate without knowing the reason why.

Even if we accept all of this, how does this stop someone with superhuman senses, like say Superman, or someone with a space ring that warns of just such issues, like say the three Green Lanterns on the planet, from noticing the Earth is under attack? And, an even bigger question, even if they could stop them from finding out about such a danger why would they? As we see in this issue they could use all the help they can get. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $2.99]