Meltdown

We get preview comics from time to time. Not the ones we put out at the counter, but small 10 page previews of books coming out several months from now. Usually I'll wait and tell you guys about them when they are coming out, but I wanted to get this one out early for two reasons. One, the preview of this book was just so damn good! Secondly, it will probably be much overlooked, and I want you to be able to get your order in early on it.

A lot of really good reviews have been coming out all over the net from some of the bigger websites like Newsarama and Ain't it Cool, so I know I am not the only one excited about it. The story follows Cal, a.k.a. The Flame, a kid born with the ability to control fire and heat. Cal, short for Caliente, is a superhero, but only because he really didn't know what else to do with his life. He doesn't act out of some notion of selflessness or compassion; he does it for the paycheck and a decent medical plan. While the book is supposed to trace his whole life, it's really about his final days.

Cal finds out that his power is killing him, he only has a few days, a week at the most, before he's dead. Now for most that would mean saying his final goodbyes and setting his affairs in order. And while he's doing that, he realizes that he has a lot more of unfinished business to attend to. Including taking care of a few super-villains along the way. There are some great moments in here, and one of the things that I really liked was how they switch back and forth from black to white backgrounds.

At first read it seemed to happen for flashbacks, but then I realized it had more to do with Cal's outlook. His state of mind. Also the art has a very progressive character to it as well. During the first fight scene it flashes back to him being born and his early childhood. The art changes from a very contemporary detailed look, to a clean minimalist style reminiscent of Invincible. Scenes set later in Cal's life are a blend between the two, with more detail, but not nearly as much as the ones set in the present. It's a subtle change between the flashback art, very nicely done, and to be honest, I didn't notice it till the third or fourth read. Anyway, I only read the 10 page preview and I loved it. Meltdown will be a two issue, 48 pg prestige format series coming out in December. I tossed in a preview page here for you, and if you want to see more either stop by the store and ask about it, or go to the website myspace.com/iamtheflare for a really cool trailer.

-Dan

P.S. Am I the only one who thought his costume looks a bit like Kyle Rayner's costume from a year or two ago?