Rising Stars, Vol. 1: Born In Fire

Rising Stars, Vol. 1: Born In Fire (2001) J. Michael Straczynski, Jason Gorder, Keu Cha, Christian Zanier

I really really love this comic.

Enough so that this is the first time I’ve actually stopped between volumes to review the first separately (usually I just plow right through without stopping).

Here is the start:

This is the story of
how we came to be.
Of what happened to us,
and to those we knew,
and loved, and fought.
Where it went right…
and where it went wrong.

Sixty years.

One-hundred and thirteen people,
born with the power.

The story of the
world we touched.
And all places where
the world touched us.

And the terror
and the beauty
and the death
that happened in
the spaces in-between.

A strange energy source explodes over Pederson, and several years after the event it is learned that the children of Pederson who were in utero at the time of the event seem to have special powers: super strength, invulnerability, flying, and many unknown.

The first volume begins with the various issues that society and government would have with children (and eventually adults) who have powers beyond normal men.

The Supreme Court case I thought was perfect, in that is how things would work out if something like that happened in real life. People are afraid of those who are different, who are strange, who are more powerful.

That is, for me, what makes the story so powerful. Looking out how we perceive and treat those who are different–and how that treatment affects and changes in return.

For example, it’s clear that Joshua has been manipulated by his father, and that weakness allows him to fall prey to Jason’s plans. We also see how abuse twists even the specials as it would any child.

To be clear, this is volume one of three, and ends on a cliff-hanger. But since all the volumes have been out for awhile, you can easily pick up the next volume.
Rating: 9/10

Published by Top Cow

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