Review: Firestorm: The Nuclear Man (Legends of Tomorrow)

Quick Summary

Pros: The focus on ordinary, everyday people is refreshing and fun to see play out. The book is filled with high stakes and intense action.

Cons: Some elements of the story feel very generic. There are a few action scenes that are written in a chaotic fashion.

Overall: Firestorm’s latest comic appearance features a nostalgic return to the character’s roots set in a mediocre narrative. The volume does well with the human side of the Firestorm matrix and takes some time for thrilling action scenes. However, the storytelling is often generic and is occasionally just frustrating. This makes for a decent volume all around but one that classic Firestorm fans may truly enjoy.

Story

In Firestorm: The Nuclear Man (Legends of Tomorrow) legendary comic writer and Firestorm co-creator Gerry Conway returns to write the Nuclear Man once again. As such, it will come as little surprise that this volume is a fantastic return to form for Firestorm. It features a renewed focus on high school hopes and anxieties while still retaining a background of heroic crimefighting. However, the actual storytelling used to detail this premise is often hit or miss. Sometimes it allows for exciting action scenes and heartfelt emotion, other times it leads to confusing battles and overly predictable plot points. Overall though, this is a decent volume, especially for fans of a more “classic” Firestorm.

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About half of this volume is focused on the life of ordinary, everyday people. Ronnie and Jason fight over girls, make decisions about their future, and have heartfelt moments with their parents. These are all story elements that readers are able to more easily relate to, which makes them easier to connect to as protagonists.

My favorite example of the volume’s ability to connect with regular people occurs after Ronnie, Jason, and Professor Stein spend an entire night preforming heroics. Ronnie and Jason return home and receive well-written praise from their respective parents while Stein eats a microwaved dinner by himself. It is a bittersweet moment with plenty of emotions running free, perfect for readers who want real humans in their superhero comics.

However, some elements of this human-focused story are pretty predictable and generic. Ronnie’s football dilemma feels like an after school special and the source of Jason’s peculiar sickness becomes obvious way too soon. These negatives do not fully break immersion but do put a damper on an otherwise entertaining story.

The other half of the volume is focused on the duo’s actions as Firestorm. This is where the book’s drama and suspense comes from. The high stakes, action, and constant danger is thrilling, and Firestorm’s powers are great. Plus, this world-saving responsibility mixes well with the heroes’ other responsibilities.

However, there are also a few superhero based moments that do not read well at all. One of the chapters spends far too much time chaotically jumping between the present and flashbacks, making the narrative frustratingly hard to understand. Meanwhile, other moments just feel a bit generic. There is still a compelling story here but it is hurt by these complications.

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Art

The artwork throughout Firestorm: The Nuclear Man (Legends of Tomorrow) is average at best. Eduardo Pansica’s pencils and Rob Hunter’s inks do a decent job in bringing the main cast to life and conveying action in a logical way. However, characters are often drawn with odd looking faces or strongly contorted bodies. This is especially noticeable when the characters attempt to express emotion, which always ends up being far too over-the-top. Overall, the volume is visually passable but not something readers will find too much joy in.

Continuity

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man (Legends of Tomorrow) collects the entire Firestorm storyline from the Legends of Tomorrow series. Though this is technically a standalone comic, numerous references are made to the previous Firestorm series, which began with The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men Vol. 1: God Particle (Review). Specifically, the events of The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men Vol. 3: Takeover (Review) are brought up a number of times.

The story here does not directly continue in any specific book.