Comic Brew: ‘Milestone Compendium One’
The 30th Anniversary of one of the most iconic imprints in comics is here and what better way than with Milestone Compendium Volume One. Milestone Media launched in 1993 with Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis and Derek T. Dingle leading the charge. Cowan, McDuffie and Davis created the Dakotaverse which is named after the city of Dakota where all of the heroes and villains of the Milestone Universe reside. From here we were introduced to Hardware, Icon & Rocket, The Blood Syndicate, Xombi and Static: who will one day have his own tv show. I will get more into the details of these different books and creative teams as I go through what the contents of the compendium are.
Milestone Compendium One collects the first year of the groundbreaking imprint with Hardware #1-12, Icon #1-10, Xombi #0-11, Static #1-8, Blood Syndicate #1-12 and Shadow Cabinet #0. This compendium also includes the huge Shadow War crossover event that involved all of the Milestone heroes. So, why don’t we dive into the awesome stories that are collecting in this compendium.
The first series is the one that kicked off Milestone Comics: Hardware. The series was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan. It’s about a brilliant scientist named Curtis Metcalf. Curt is a scientist and inventor that works for Alva Technologies. When he was younger, Edwin Alva took an interest in Curtis’ interests and his education. He helped Curtis get into all of the best schools and to become one of the top scientists and inventors. He even offered Curtis a job at Alva Technologies. After a while though, Curtis finds out that Alva is involved in the Criminal Underworld of Dakota and he takes it upon himself to not only stop Alva but to clean up his city. He creates a suit of armor and various weapons and becomes the vigilante Hardware. I wont go into too many details of this book or any of the other books because I want you all to read them and experience them for yourselves.
The next series is Blood Syndicate and was created by Dwayne McDuffie, Ivan Velez Jr. and Trevor Von Eeden supplying the art. Blood Syndicate takes place on Paris Island which is part of the city of Dakota. It’s about a gang of super powered beings that all belonged to rival gangs but after an event called The Big Bang gives them and other people their powers, they form one gang to take over Paris Island control everything. Think of them as kind of like the X-Men. What is also really groundbreaking about this series is that it introduces us to one of the first transgender characters and one of the first gay characters in comics. I wont say who they are because you should see for yourself. But I will say that this series is awesome.
This brings us to Xombi, which was created by John Rozum and J.J. Birch. This series brings us the story of Dr. David Kim who is a scientist that is experimenting with nanotechnology. The goal of the experiment is to use the nanotechnology to help heal and prolong life. After David is attacked, his assistant in jects him with the nanobots and his body repairs itself but at a cost. David then becomes the target of a religious cult and its up to him and his allies to stop the cult and the save the world. I have to say that this book is a lot of fun but it can get very confusing at times.
Shifting gears, we move to the most fun of the Milestone titles: Static. Created by Dwayne McDuffie, Robert L. Washington and with John Paul Leon on the art. The series is about high schooler Virgil Hawkins who was at the Big Bang when it happened. After he gains the powers of controlling and manipulating electricity, he takes it upon himself to not only protect his family and friends but the other citizens of Dakota. This series would eventually spawn the highly acclaimed animated series Static Shock that both Denys Cowan and Dwayne McDuffie were involved in.
I think it’s time to take a look at another one of the Milestone icons (yes the pun is very much intended) with Icon. Created by Dwayne McDuffie and artist M.D. Bright the series follows lawyer Augustus Freeman and his sidekick Raquel after she convinces him to become a superhero after she witnesses his abilities. He reveals to Raquel that he is an alien and he gives her a belt that was part of his ship to protect her and to give her abilities as well. They become the team of Icon & Rocket and go on a mission to clean up and protect the city.
All of these series lead us to the event Shadow War and the new Shadow Cabinet series. When an all seeing being named Dharma finds out that rogue members of the Shadow Cabinet plan on releasing a biological weapon, he recruits the various heroes of Dakota to join him in his fight against the Star Collective. It ends up being an epic battle and it starts to shape the future of the Dakotaverse for years to come.
When it comes to these stories, I have to say that all of them are just incredible. This is the first time I have ever read these series and I fell in love with each of them. The storytelling by Dwayne McDuffie, Ivan Velez and John Rozum is top notch and each series has it’s own voice and identity. With Hardware you see a man that has been living in the shadow of someone whose achievements are not their own and he sets out to right that. Static is definitely a coming of age story and every nerd can see a bit of themselves in Virgil Hawkins. In Blood Syndicate, we meet a group of people that realize they can become more than the life they had before the Big Bang. Xombi is a look at the world of the supernatural where everything is possible. It also shows us the power can corrupt. Icon shows us all that we can strive to be better and to make our world a better place and also shows us the power of choice. I have nothing but praises for the creators of these stories and the impact they have had on me.
The art in here is stunning and every single panel pops. I especially love all of the different splash pages and the various action sequences. But, it’s in the smaller moments where the art by John Paul Leon, M.D. Bright, J.J. Birch and Trevor Von Eeden really shines. I especially love the moments in Blood Syndicate where each member reflect on their lives and how far they have come in their journey. The moments with Virgil and his friends in Static where you see how much they love and care for each other brought a big smile to my face because it shows you that your friends do in fact become your family. There is an amazing series of panels in Icon where Rocket has a big decision to make and I just felt the power and emotion in those beautiful panels. I can’t say enough about the art, it’s just that damn good.
I honestly have no complaints or issues with this compendium other than I didn’t want it to end. This is the perfect introduction to the classic Milestone Universe and a great way to promote the newer series in the current Milestone Universe. I love this book so much and I have read it three times since I picked it up. I am currently going through the second compendium and I am about to get to the Worlds Collide event and I am so excited to read it. I won’t tell you what it is but the pitch and concept is awesome.
I give Milestone Compendium Volume One 5 Icons out of 5
Pop Culture Uncovered 