Checking back in with Doctor Fate after a few months it seems Khalid Nassour is still struggling with understanding the full weight of what being Doctor Fate means, but he is getting better and handling his powers and processing the oblique advice he gets from Nabu.
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Khalid Nassour‘s rocky journey into becoming the DCU’s new Doctor Fate continues as he stops fighting the Helm to learn a bit about where the knowledge of power it offers come from as well as save his father from a traffic accident caused by the minions of Thoth who demand a blood price our young hero is unwilling to pay.
Two issues in I’m still on the fence about Nassour as Fate. There’s certainly plenty of room for Nassour to grow into the role, and I like the character, but Doctor Fate has always been one of the most powerful magic users of the DCU and it looks like some time before Nassour will ever truly command that much knowledge or power. I also have to wonder about previous Fates. Did they exist in the DCU after the New 52 relaunch? If so, are they living or dead, and might we see someone like Kent Nelson show up as potential ally or rival? Given how shabily DC relaunched its characters without answering basic questions about their backstories I have to wonder if they’ve even considered these questions. Until they do, and until Nassour truly grows into his role as the new Dr. Fate (complete with costume, please), I’m likely to stay a bit wary of this title. For fans.
[DC, $2.99]
Although different versions of the character have popped up around the DCU it has been more than 20 years since any version of Doctor Fate was given his own series. Several characters over the years have donned the Helm of Fate, and Doctor Fate #1 continues that tradition by introducing Egyptian-American Khalid Nassour as the latest to be chosen.
The choice to make the new Doctor Fate an Egyptian-American actually plays well on the comic character’s bizarre past, although I’d certainly prefer the hero to look far more traditional in his full-on Doctor Fate mode. We’re introduced to Khalid here but see little of him as Fate leaving some question as to what the character will look like and act going forward.
The opening issue which introduces a talking cat along with hinting of plenty of old magic and mythology which suggests Doctor Fate may could struggle to find its own peculiar corner of the DCU. I’m curious to see if he flourishes or flounders. For fans.
[DC, $2.99]
