REVIEW: New-ish 52-ish in HEROES REBORN #3!
In the main Heroes Reborn #3 story, “Race Through the Dread Dimension” by Jason Aaron, Federico Vicentini, Matt Milla, and Cory Petit, we get the most DC Comics-style story yet… and if you’ve been reading this event so far, you know that’s really saying something!
Photo: Marvel Comics
“Race Through the Dread Dimension”
In the main story in Heroes Reborn #3, we’re introduced to “the world’s fastest mortal,” Stanley Stewart, A.K.A. the Blur!
Blur-52. Photo: Marvel Comics
Essentially, this Blur guy is more or less a carbon copy of The Flash, the same way that Hyperion is essentially Superman, and Power Princess is essentially Wonder Woman.
Throughout the first story, we see the Blur battling against the Silver Witch, who carries a grudge against Blur because he raced her twin brother to death.
Silver Witch vs. Blur in Heroes Reborn #3. Photo: Marvel Comics
“Race Through the Dread Dimension” is a strange story because we don’t exactly know who to root for, because although the Silver Witch is presented as the villain, she’s much less of a jerk than Blur, and actually, her brother’s death seems like a pretty understandable motivation.
Photo: Marvel Comics
Plus, like another incarnation of Wanda, this one seems to suspect that something is rotten in the Marvel Universe…
Things are gettin’ weird in Ravencroft! Photo: Marvel Comics
The whole story has a very DC Comics vibe, not the least of which because it deals with the idea of facades painted over reality, a topic that’s specifically explored through the Flash at the other half of the Big 2 Publishing binary.
Plus, the conclusion is the type of ending we see in many, many Batman stories: with the “antagonists” incarcerated in an asylum… but for how long?
Photo: Marvel Comics
“The Silent Inferno”
At this point in the series, in Heroes Reborn #3, it seems clear we have a pattern for the main Heroes Reborn issues: a main story from “within” the world, and a backup story that shows the Avengers re-assembling and preparing to battle their way back to reality.
Heroes Reborn #3 Last Story Reveal. Photo: Marvel Comics
This issue’s backup story is called “The Silent Inferno,” and it’s by Aaron, Ed McGuinness, Mark Morales, Matthew Wilson, and Petit. Don’t check the link if you don’t want to spoil who appears in “The Silent Inferno,” but suffice to say, if you’ve been following our Marvel Blog coverage closely, you will consider them to be a familiar face – or as familiar a face as you get in Heroes Reborn, anyway!
Where’s Magneto?
It’s true what they say: the waiting is the hardest part! Shipping delays are inevitable in comics, perhaps more so than ever in the age of COVID-19. Nevertheless, it was still a bummer that the tie-in issue that was meant to come out this week, Heroes Reborn: Magneto & the Mutant Force #1, has been delayed until next Wednesday, May 26th, 2021.
Photo: Marvel Comics
As you may remember from my review last week, the tie-ins added some serious dimension to Heroes Reborn #2, and with Heroes Reborn #3 featuring the Silver Witch, I was exceptionally intrigued to see how the Magneto & the Mutant Force one-shot would inform this story. So, the one week delay was kind of a bummer.
As much as a bummer as the delay may be, that is just a part of following serialized comics, especially when they’re on a tight, week-by-week schedule.
Photo: Marvel Comics
One thing’s for sure: I will be picking up the issue when it is finally released next week, along with any of the other Heroes Reborn stories! The first issue may not have fully hooked me, but I am all in now and counting down the minutes until the next New Comic Book Day!
