Doomsday.1 #1

One of the treats to be found in the present age of comics (whatever it might be called) is that we occasionally see the return of some of yesterday's better comics series.

I would definitely rank the original Doomsday + 1 in those ranks (published in 1975).

Featuring some of John Byrne's earliest comics work, the series published by Charlton Comics was an interesting mix of science fiction, a smidge of fantasy (in the form of a caveman revived from his icy prison) all set in a post-apocalyptic world.

It focused on a team of space explorers who return to an Earth devastated by nuclear war - they confront an assortment of menaces and monsters.

It was a clever, entertaining series - but sadly, it only lasted for six issues (though it was reprinted often).

Thankfully, IDW has revived the title with Byrne returning as creator, writer and artist. The new version, slightly retitled as Doomsday.1, allows room for some updating, factual adjustment and assorted fine tuning.

The crew has been expanded and their mission is a bit more real-world (they're assigned to the Internationsl Space Station). The cause of the "Doomsday" is also a more modern, reality-based version of how that might happen, as is what happens during and after the disaster (obviously I don't want to give away too much of the fun here).

Byrne sets up several upcoming story lines here and provides an interesting and diverse cast.

The art, of course, is terrific. What little Byrne may have lost in youthful enthusiasm in the almost 40 years since the original he more than makes up with skill and craftsmanship.

It's a terrific start to a new series and requires no knowledge of the original version. But fans of the original will enjoy the return of an old favorite, all decked out for a modern audience.

Grade: A

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