HOT for Firestorm

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?"