I've always liked Roy Harper (Speedy/Arsenal/Red Arrow), formerly of the original Teen Titans group. Why? I guess because he's always been "real." The stories involving him have always been real and hard-hitting. Nothing is ever sugar-coated with him.
As the teen superhero Speedy, sidekick to Green Arrow, he joined the Teen Titans and was drawn to the only female on the team, Wonder Girl. Roy was cocky -- a "total guy" and a womanizer -- and screwed up the relationship time and time again. Later, he became the poster boy for drug addiction, something unheard of for superheroes who were supposed to be role models for kids. 
Roy was addicted to heroin and unable to stop using. He eventually did stop, went through withdrawal, and came out clean. Thankfully, DC Comics still references this ugly part of his past instead of just sweeping it under the rug. It's a part of who he is, and it has made him stronger for it. It also establishes him as a superhero with flaws. It makes him...real, in a sense.
As an adult, Roy was known to bed many superwomen...and a villain or two. His charm, confidence, and good looks go a long way. He's had flings/relationships with Hawkgirl and Huntress, and fathered a child with the Titans villainess Cheshire. Unable to care for the child as an assassin, Cheshire gave Roy custody of their daughter. Having a daughter in his life has made Roy grow as a person. He's matured and become a great father to his daughter Lian and a big brother figure to Green Arrow's son Connor Hawke and new sidekick Mia Dearden, the new Speedy. (Who, by the way, has her own tragic beginnings coming from the world of teenage prostitution and now living with HIV.) Now with the Justice League mini-series Cry for Justice
, Roy has lost an arm AND the daughter he loved and cherished. The storyline itself wasn't that great, but its significance in Roy's life is major. (See my review here.)
DC Comics' new mini-series, The Rise of Arsenal, gives center stage to Roy and follows him through the "what's next?" stage of his life. I've only read the first issue so far...but I am already hooked. In it, Roy wakes up in recovery and tries to deal with the loss of one of his arms (that was severed by Prometheus). Next, he's given the blow that Prometheus also killed his daughter. Ouch. Roy is angry, hurt, and lashes out. His superhero friends try to calm him down, but it's to no avail. J.T. Krul writes the story with superb realism. He deals with the tragic emotion of loss and even...addiction. Yes, folks, Roy Harper is heading down that road again. Gone are the heydays of heroin. In today's modern world, it's prescription pain killers. And Roy has plenty of them, having just lost an arm and dealing with the pain.
Throughout the issue, I kept feeling so many emotions swirling around inside me. Sadness. Empathy. Anger. Frustration. I felt SO bad for Roy. The amputation I can deal with. The loss of Lian was devastating because you could tell how much Roy loved his little girl and wanted to provide a safe environment for her.
I can't wait to see where this mini-series is going, but I hope it's eventually to an ongoing solo series featuring my favorite red-headed, muscled womanizer.
What happens when you push a superhero too far? DC Comics' seven-issue mini-series Cry for Justice answers that question. So as to not give away any spoilers (as if you probably already haven't heard), I won't go into detail about the story's content. However, I will tell you that the book leads into a new roster for the Justice League of America and into some major character changes in the Green Arrow family.
While the series ended on a powerful note, the entire story throughout felt a little bit convoluted and pieced together without much thought of cohesion. I felt that the writer, James Robinson, wasn't quite sure what the story was, how to develop the characters, how to have the characters interact with each other, or how to get the characters from Point A to Point B. And I'm sure "scheduling delays" with the release of the comic didn't help with my waning interest either. The first five issues were issued monthly and then the second two every other month after that. Hopefully, the graphic novel as a whole reads better. But most likely, it doesn't, since the story doesn't naturally flow.
Anyway, besides the "shocking" finale, the best part about this series was the amazing artwork. AMAZING. And when I say "artwork," I literally mean works of art. Each panel by Mauro Cascioli felt like a well-crafted painting. I only wish the story was as well-crafted. This book's artwork is worth the purchase alone. 
Yes, I know it's been 6 years now since the new Jason Rusch Firestorm made his debut in Firestorm #1 (vol 3). But give me a break; I'm still playing catch-up with what's happened in the DC Universe since I stopped reading in 1994. Firestorm (aka, the Ronnie Raymond version) was always one of my favorite characters back in the 1980s. I'm not really sure why. He just was. Maybe because he was a teenager still trying to find his way and was thrust into this position of great power (sound familiar, Spidey fans?). Or maybe I liked him because his stories were self-contained. He didn't bleed over regularly into the other DC comics series and had his own cast of supporting characters and villains, including a love interest, Firehawk.
I've seen the new Firestorm (aka Jason Rusch) scattered throughout recent stories I've read in the modern DC Universe in the past couple of years. I haven't been that crazy about him, mostly because I didn't feel he had much depth to him and felt that the only reason that DC Comics chose the new Firestorm to be an African-American was to add some diversity to their superhero base. Plus, he seemed really cocky, which is an unattractive trait in a superhero, unless his name is Booster Gold. Booster's character was built on cockiness, and it suits him.
However, after picking up the third volume of the Firestorm series (#s 1-35) in an eBay auction, I'm really excited about this new Firestorm. Or maybe it's just the writing that excites me. The writer of the first thirteen issues, Dan Jolley, creates Jason Rusch with depth. He doesn't focus so much on action scenes. What he focuses on is character development and does it superbly. We're introduced to Jason, Jason's father, his best friend Mick, and assorted people Jason comes into contact with, both as Jason and as Firestorm. Jason has a job. Or...jobs. Not great ones; he is only a teenager, after all. So dressing in a chicken suit doesn't feel weird to him. Jason is also trying to get into college to make something of himself. Jason is REAL. He's a real teenager, trying to survive an abusive father, crappy jobs, and the seedy world around him.
When Jason meets Green Lantern and is given a Justice League signal device, he is overwhelmed with excitement. When he meets Superman, he's nervous and intimated to be in the presence of greatness. Jolley, by no means, creates this new Firestorm with any form of cockiness.
Lastly, Jolley does a fantastic job of intriguing the reader. He grabs their interest by throwing out question after question without providing answers right away. He keeps the reader begging for more and hooks them into picking up the next issue. To me, that's the sign of a great writer. Always leave them wanting more... (I guess that also applies to the dating world.)
I breezed through Jolley's thirteen issues of Firestorm in no time. His stories (and the superb artwork) tell so much, yet keep us guessing. How did Jason get the Firestorm power? Why did it (if it did) pick him? Why is Jason's dad so abusive toward him? Why is his dad missing a hand? Will Jason get out of the Detroit ghetto and into college?
I look forward to reading the rest of the series of Firestorm's volume 3, but sad that Dan Jolley didn't write it. It won't be nearly as exciting. Here's hoping Jolley returns to DC Comics' mainstream comics soon. I'd love to see what magic he can create with other characters. Look out, Geoff Johns -- you've got some competition!
p.s. Totally off topic, when I searched Google for Firestorm images, the below one popped up. Is this for the new upcoming DC Comics' series, "Superhero Playgirl?"
I've always liked Roy Harper (Speedy/Arsenal/Red Arrow), formerly of the original Teen Titans group. Why? I guess because he's always been "real." The stories involving him have always been real and hard-hitting. Nothing is ever sugar-coated with him.
Roy was addicted to heroin and unable to stop using. He eventually did stop, went through withdrawal, and came out clean. Thankfully, DC Comics still references this ugly part of his past instead of just sweeping it under the rug. It's a part of who he is, and it has made him stronger for it. It also establishes him as a superhero with flaws. It makes him...real, in a sense.
DC Comics' new mini-series, The Rise of Arsenal, gives center stage to Roy and follows him through the "what's next?" stage of his life. I've only read the first issue so far...but I am already hooked. In it, Roy wakes up in recovery and tries to deal with the loss of one of his arms (that was severed by Prometheus). Next, he's given the blow that Prometheus also killed his daughter. Ouch. Roy is angry, hurt, and lashes out. His superhero friends try to calm him down, but it's to no avail. J.T. Krul writes the story with superb realism. He deals with the tragic emotion of loss and even...addiction. Yes, folks, Roy Harper is heading down that road again. Gone are the heydays of heroin. In today's modern world, it's prescription pain killers. And Roy has plenty of them, having just lost an arm and dealing with the pain.
