Reviews - Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #1

The first issue of this highly anticipated mini-series is out! Okay, maybe it's not highly anticipated amongst all comic book fans, but I've been looking forward to this all summer long. Daniel Acuna artwork? HELL YEAH!

To give readers a quick background summary, the Freedom Fighters are a band of superheroes from an alternative Earth. The team was lead by Uncle Sam and met its untimely end in the pages of Infinite Crisis. Several members were killed (Human Bomb, Condor, Phantom Lady) and others severely injured, including Uncle Sam, who went missing. The US government decided to reform the team under S.H.A.D.E. and is now controlled by Father Time. This new team made it's debut in The Battle for Bludhaven mini-series.

So if the government controls the new Freedom Fighters, why does the title say Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters? Well, in the Battle for Bludhaven, Uncle Sam returns (it's also stated in this issue) and I'm sure there's hell to pay. So is the book any good? Yes! Yes it is!

The issue begins with a Senator preaching about superheroes and the need for the government to have one. It then cuts to the Freedom Fighters carrying out an assassination of an Intergang arms smuggler. Not all the members of the team are present and I'm sure there will be several roster changes throughout the series. We are then given a brief background of each of the new members. There's the new Ray, the new Phantom Lady (still with the crazy costume) and Doll Man. This issue also shows how ruthless Father Time is. It will be interesting to see how Stormy Knight (Phantom Lady) takes to her new 'father'.

The issue ends with Father Time ordering the new Freedom Fighters to take down Uncle Sam. Wow. All this in one issue? I love it! This is much better than the confusing Battle for Bludhaven and with Daniel Acuna's amazing art, I'm loving it. If Gray and Palmiotti can make this a good mini-series, DC might have another team book worthy of an ongoing.

DRAGONCRYPT