DC Comics is shaking things up following the multiverse-shattering effects of Dark Knights: Death Metal, which saw Diana of Themyscera taking on a brand new role in the DCU and Infinite Frontier acts as a primer to this “brave new world”. With this issue acting as an anthology, stringing together multiple plot lines to give readers a sense of what all the heroes will be up to in the near future of DC Comics. It is somewhat discouraging that this sampler issue wasn’t offered at a discount considering the publisher has done so in the past in the likes of Infinite Crisis.
The wrap-around story takes Wonder Woman out of her element and places her into the world of the gods, asked to join a group of all-powerful beings known as the Quintessence, and in typical Diana fashion, she takes the offer and flips it on its head to better the world around her. In this respect, the story works in giving Diana a fresh new status quo, rejecting the position of “Watcher” to instead right wrongs across this new “Infinite Frontier” as a journeyman rather than a bystander. While this take on Wonder Woman is fresh, the same can’t be said for the ultimate threat, which feels somewhat redundant.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The single issue, as mentioned earlier, is an anthology-style story, diving into the heroes and villains of the DC Universe, and so each should be broken down individually to give potential readers a better perspective on what they’re diving into:
“Justice League” – Perhaps the story with the most “heart” in this issue, the team of Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez ease into the story as if this is a continuation of a Justice League story rather than the first entry of a new ongoing series. Though fans might be caught up in the introduction of the now nefarious “Shazadam” moniker, Bendis has a firm grasp of the characters seen here in Superman and Flash as they debate bringing a new member onto the team.
“Batman” – Easily the meatiest of the stories seen here in Infinite Frontier, Bruce Wayne is struggling with a new attack from what appears to be the Joker, with the same creative team behind the current ongoing series. With a major character death and some fast-paced action mixed in, the tale does a decent job of introducing the main elements in play in Gotham City.
“Wonder Woman And Wonder Girl” – While the first half of the story attempts to pick a new Queen for the island paradise of Themyscira, the real find here is in Wonder Girl’s introduction, continuing the tale of this new hero that first came into play thanks to “Future State”.
“Green Lantern – Alan Scott” – This story makes for a status quo change for the first Green Lantern, and perhaps this was a story that simply needed more time dedicated to it as it left me wanting when it came to Alan and his children sharing a touching moment with one another.
“Teen Titans Academy” – Shockingly, this story only gets two pages, and it’s clear that this insanely brief look into the series gives readers an overview, but doesn’t help us to get a better idea of the aspiring heroes that are learning beneath the Teen Titans. This could have definitely used more pages devoted to it.
“Super Man” – Perhaps one of the weakest entries of the issue, the story boils down to the Spectre telling Diana to fear the son of Clark Kent, Jonathan, who for reasons unknown must never take the mantle from his father. This story would have honestly worked far better if there was no narration whatsoever and simply took the opportunity to show us a day in the life of the potential future Supes.
“Green Arrow & Black Canary” – Surprisingly enough, this story manages to do far more with the two pages dedicated to it than “Teen Titans Academy” did, showing us the chemistry between Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance while sneaking in a nice mystery as to a character’s resurrection.
“Stargirl” – Taking a page directly from the popular CW show, “Stargirl” establishes the status quo for both Courtney and her mentor Pat, establishing a story that is by far the most “comic book” feeling of the stories inside.
“Green Lantern” – The short story establishes a unique status quo for the Green Lanterns through the eyes of a new character, “Teen Lantern,” establishing the majesty of the planet Oa while also taking an opportunity to mention where many of the human Lanterns currently are in this new multiverse.
“The Flash” – One of the biggest shifts in the story is one that many fans have been clamoring for, passing the torch from one Flash to another. Porter’s art here could have perhaps used more “time in the oven” but it’s a heartwarming story that dives into the relationship between Barry and Wally.
Infinite Frontier is a mixed bag, with the final revelation of the comic feeling like retread ground. This issue acts as a marketing experience to sell readers on the future of DC Comics‘ stories, but it’s at best a good entryway that could have been great.
Published by DC Comics
On March 2, 2021
Written by Various
Art by Various
Colors by Various
Letters by Various
Cover by Dan Jurgens and Mikel Janín
