REVIEW: ‘The Silencer #1‘ – Pretty Good, If Nothing New
The big pitch is “The New Age of DC Superheroes.” It’s a bold statement to promise a new age, and if we were to measure SILENCER #1 against it, it remains more a promise and an ambition than an actuality.
The big pitch is “The New Age of Heroes.” It’s a bold statement to promise a new age, and if we were to measure THE SILENCER #1 against it, it remains more a promise and an ambition than an actuality. We’re still looking at a GrimDark hero. And while that art is signature John Romita Jr., it’s, well, signature JRJR and not exactly a new formulation of things. So if we were thinking of some striking new vision of superheroics moving forward, it’s not here in this launch issue.
But it’s possible I’m asking too much, or expecting too much from a gimmicky sales pitch. If I step back from expecting delivery on this “New Age” then The Silencer actually comes across pretty good, if nothing new. Dan Abnett is a strong writer, and JRJR is, as mentioned JRJR. Which means that this is a solid read, if a little unoriginal.
The Silencer is a mom with a past. She used to be with Leviathan, but “Just when she’s out, they pull her back in.” That’s basically what we get in this issue. A little bit of the life she’s made and how her old life is now coming back to haunt her. It’s familiar, it’s a solid set-up. There’s enough violence and pyrotechnics, with a good balance of warmth and family. I don’t know if I’m sold on the hero or the while new age at this point, but it’s the first issue and given the names on this title I’m willing to give it a couple more issues to step up.
