Review: OMAC Vol. 1- Omactivate!
Quick Summary
Pros: The entire book is packed with action and fun. The larger narrative is interesting and is entertaining to see develop. The book feels like a clever homage to the Silver Age of comic books, in terms of both story and art.
Cons: The book ends far too quickly and leaves a number of plotlines unfinished. Secondary characters end up feeling underdeveloped by the book’s end.
Overall: Though this is a fun book, it is certainly not for everyone. Its dedication to action and celebration of classic comic styles makes it entertaining and sets it apart from other books. However, its unsatisfactory conclusion casts a shadow over the read and ruins its potential to be something greater. All in all, this book will most likely appeal to readers looking to see how the classic comic storytelling and art would fit into the modern comic landscape.
Story
OMAC Vol. 1: Omactivate!, by Dan DiDio and Keith Giffen, is an action-packed throwback to the Silver Age of comic books. Each chapter features a short burst of action combined with a bit of information about the book’s larger narrative. The end result is an entertaining romp with a style that is radically different from other comics out there. Unfortunately, the book’s conclusion comes about far too quickly and leaves plotlines unfinished and characters underdeveloped. The journey to the end is still enjoyable, and may be worth it for some, but is significantly marred by this series’ early cancellation.
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Omactivate is a book about action that has no qualms with emphasizing this point. Each chapter gives OMAC a chance to challenge a new enemy and prove his might all over again. This action is entertaining and celebratory in a way that ends up being fun, pure and simple. It also helps that OMAC’s enemies have a solid level of variety to them, keeping his somewhat routine bouts of action from ever feeling stale.
The real treat within this action is the comic’s ability to mimic and celebrate the style of the early Silver Age. The standalone nature of the chapters allows easy entry into the series while the slowly developing larger-narrative makes sticking with the comic more worthwhile. This makes the book feel like early Thor comics, as it features a powerful main character who’s relationship becomes a more central plot point as the series develops. Seeing a comic like this is a unique sight in the modern reading landscape, which helps positively set it apart from other books out there.
However, Omactivate‘s conclusion comes about rather quickly and leaves the series feeling unfinished. Numerous plot threads are left open in a rather unsatisfying way. Plus, the conclusion leaves readers with a lack of resolution regarding Kevin’s connection to Brother Eye or the suspicious activities of Cadmus and Checkmate. All in all, it feels as if this series was cut short before it was able to come to a natural end.
This also causes significant problems in regards to the volume’s side characters, who are underdeveloped and uninteresting. Kevin’s relationship with Jody is brought up a number of times but never feels essential to the narrative. This problem is further exacerbated in Jody’s relationship with Tony, which feels even more removed from everything else going on. Had these characters had some more time to develop, some of these interactions would have been nice to look back on, but they did not, and so these interactions end up being distracting rather than entertaining.
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Art
Omactivate has a very charming art style that does well in complementing the book’s bombastic nature and Silver Age roots. Keith Giffen pencils look good and provide a style that is clearly an homage to Jack “The King” Kirby. This fills the book with characters that look as powerful as they act and backgrounds that are delightfully intricate. All of this helps bring the characters and environment to life, making this action-packed thrill ride feel even more dynamic and full of excitement. The only problem is that there are a few places where characters’ faces look weird, rather than stylized. Overall though, this is a good looking collection where the art heavily complements the story.
Continuity
OMAC Vol. 1: Omactivate! is the only volume in OMAC’s solo series. It features a brand new take on the character and does not continue the story of any other comic.
This series ends with this volume. However, OMAC appears again in Justice League International Vol. 2: Breakdowns.
This volume also references another comic book, detailed below:
- This volume features a mini-crossover with the Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. series. This mini-crossover is continued in Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #5, which is collected in Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. Vol. 1: War of the Monsters.