Creative team: Keith Geffen, Dan Didio, Scott Koblish, et al.
Rating: Three hooves out of four.
Alas, there can’t be a major (re)launch of 52 comics titles without at least one failure. With the exception of an issue of Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E., the saga of Kevin Kho and Brother Eye are collected in DC Comics’ OMACTIVATE.
O.M.A.C. is a bash-and-smash “Monster of the Month” comic with Kho, an employee with the secretive Cadmus, under supervision of Brother Eye, a living satellite. When Kevin or Eye says, “OMACtivate,” Kevin becomes a blue-skinned, electric-mohawked force of nature. O.M.A.C. faces off against energy enhanced agents, freaks such as Amazing Man & Psi-Fi (heh) Man, one of Granny Goodness’ Furies and, in issue #7, Superman. Meanwhile, Checkmate chief Maxwell Lord, Sergeant Steel, and Cadmus’ Mokarri track and pursue O.M.A.C.
Centering the monthly floppies around melees featuring a Hulk-like creature may have caused the series’ failure. Nonetheless, the fights are fun but the Cadmus-Checkmate interplay gets tiresome. It’s obvious that the creative team had greater plans for O.M.A.C. The main story arc takes a breather in issue #7 as Kevin meets some not-so-funny animals after duking it out with Supes. In issue #8 there’s a plausible conclusion that allows for future guest appearances by the electric-blue brawler despite the overdone narration. (I hope…)
O.M.A.C. carries a Jack Kirby artistic influence, especially when the early issues adds in some corny dialogue. The art’s a fair replica of Kirby’s kineticism. It’s okay to have Kirby-esque faces and goliaths bodyslamming each other, but Kirby executed the illusion of motion better. These monstrous figures are surely getting crunched and zapped all over the place, but this illusion of motion is lacking a bit.
That’s doesn’t mean I couldn’t relate to Kevin or turn away from the book. There may be some subtext about how much technology controls our lives. Kevin Kho may be a nod to Ang Lee’s belief of an Asian-American subculture of repression. What matters is how much POWs and BAMs you’re getting for your money.
If you appreciate tremendous mano a mano battles, then getting this New 52 collection is a good way to pass an afternoon. May O.M.A.C. find peace and a long-running series to join.
O.M.A.C. Volume 1 available now! Support RHM by purchasing this or other items by clicking this link.
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