This comic is a bit of a struggle. Like the previous two issues of Freedom Fighters, I found myself drawn to the story, the twists and the results. I think what Palmiotti and Gray are doing here is a pretty nice, interesting concept. Different from the typical DC stuff and more in line with what I would see in other companies. The art is pretty good too, nothing spectacular, but some excellent pages for sure.

The problem here is that Palmiotti and Gray seem to be wrapped up in the concept, but haven’t been able to find their stride with the characters. That could be because the characters just aren’t that good of designs (interesting mixture of golden age and modern themes), or that there just isn’t enough to the characters at this point to establish meaningful, relatable voices.

We know how good Gray and Palmiotti can be (Power Girl, Jonah Hex, etc.), and they’ve now done quite a few Freedom Fighters related issues over the years but the dialogue just seems forced and awkward, while the overarching concept seems to be right in my wheelhouse. The villains I’m really enjoying and are being written really well, but I’m still not at the stage where I want to root for the Freedom Fighters.

Based on comments and probably an overall lack of interest, I doubt this title even lasts very long, but I’m hoping that the stride is hit in the next issue or two, because it just needs to fix a couple things to be a really fun comic.