Writer: Tom King
Art: Jorge Fornes
Colors: Dave Stewart
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: January 10th, 2023
Danger Street #2 continues Tom King’s story with characters semi-obscure (The Creeper and Warlord) to characters that have been nearly totally forgotten (Lady Cop and The Dingbats of Danger Street) in a Watchmen-type story that explores the dark corners of the DC Universe, including Apokolips. It’s an attempt to give these forgotten characters a purpose in modern day DC Earth-Prime, and like last issue, it stumbles a lot along the way.
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The Story
There are a variety of subplots running throughout Danger Street #2, building on the foundation that was built last issue. Warlord and the original Starman (the blue one) hole up in a cheap hotel after last issue’s disastrous (and ridiculous) attempt by them to capture Darkseid in a magic prism, causing the tragic death of a bystander (Good Looks, a member of the Dingbats of Danger Street). If any characters suffer the most from this book, they do. I loved the Warlord character back in the 80’s, and what Tom King has done to him here is nearly unforgivable. I understand that we’re exploring a different side of Warlord, but Tom King’s reduced him to a careless and apathetic mess. At least the blue Starman has regret an guilt over what happened.
Lady Cop (her name still hasn’t been given) investigates the death of Good Looks, running into comical roadblocks along the way. She seems like an interesting character, but instead of making her a more complex three-dimensional person, she’s written with such little substance she’s practically transparent. When she first appeared back in the 1970’s, stories were far less sophisticated. But now, if the character’s going to be dredged up again, why not give her a backstory and some depth?
After 2 issues, I’m still not understanding what the purpose of the series is, other than to hold on to the copyright of the characters. There are so many directions the story could go, but it seems limited, choosing to keep the characters (except for Warlord and The Creeper) status quo, rather than expanding on them and fleshing them out. And did we really need a new story with The Green Team and The Dingbats of Danger Street? Even Jack Ryder (AKA The Creeper) seems dull this issue, changed into a Sean Hannity-style host for a right-wing news network.
The best scene in the book, with Izaya visiting Darkseid on Apokolips, is unfortunately much too brief. But as for the rest of the issue, it’s filled with uninteresting characters shoved into a story that’s trying to be moody and dark, but it all seems forced and artificial. Hopefully next issue things will escalate and get more interesting.
The Art
Jorge Fornes’s art on Danger Street #2 has a Mike Mignola feel to it. The world and the characters in it all seem to perpetually walk in shadows. The scenes with The Creeper are drawn in a terrifying way, The Creeper genuinely looks like a monster in those panels, and it gives his scenes an impact. The scene set on Apokolips is wonderfully cosmic and Kirbyesque, and I wish more of the book was set there.
Final Thoughts
Danger Street #2 frustratingly continues to try to wring a Watchmen-style story with DC’s most obscure characters. Warlord is nothing like the Travis Morgan of the past, he’s more a shell of a character now than the great character he once was. It’s a story that wanders from subplot to subplot, and hopefully when the subplots and characters come together, the series will improve.