Still on the Shelf #15 - Gen13 (Volume 3)

Originally published July 1st, 2003 on www.ComiXtreme.com. This work is, of course, © Craig Reade.

I personally was not a close follower of the original Gen13 series. Sure, I picked up a few issues here and there to see what the big deal was, but like most people, I don’t like coming into a series right in the middle. When the first issue (well, #0) of the DC/Wildstorm’s new Gen13 series came out late last year, I jumped in at the start. I was surprised to find that it was a completely new team, and to be honest, I liked it more because of that.

Chris Claremont has been penning this new series since the beginning, and I have to say that I like it a great deal more than his work on X-treme X-Men. Sure, the dialogue is a bit campy at times, but on the whole, the story is solid. Absolutely nothing has been rushed, and even now, ten issues into the series, there is still a bit of mystery. The slow burn in sorting out the highly complex plots surrounding these new “genies” has made each issue something to look forward to.

At the appointed time, at the appointed place…

This series revolves around a mysterious being named Herod. He takes kids in their teens and turns them into genies, or people with super powers. Along with the powers, they are given a warning- You will be judged. Every person who has ever been turned into a genie by Herod has “flared” by the time they turned 21. In short, they cease to exist. No one is sure exactly what flaring entails, but as evidenced by a young woman by the name of Quickstep’s flare in issue #0, its earthly results are not pretty.

Cast of Characters

So far, the only character that remains from the original Gen13 is Caitlin Fairchild. Though she was presumed dead (along with the rest of the original team), she has been somehow resurrected. She is one of many people and groups hunting down genies. Some, like her, only want to help the genies and hopefully find a way to beat Herod and keep them from flaring. Others, like the government, and the enigmatic Meghan Ford (who masquerades as the head of a comic book company), have more ambiguous goals. She took up residence at Ethan and Dylan’s house, and accepted a job as a Vice Principle of their school in order to remain close to this new group of genies. As fans of the original Gen13 know, Caitlin posseses enhanced strength, agility, and endurance.

Ethan and Dylan York are twins who lost their firefighter father when the World Trade Center collapsed. Though it was Ethan who gained powers from Herod, it was Dylan who was the chosen one. Since Ethan interfered and gained the powers in this brother’s stead, Herod views him as an "Abomination" that must be destroyed. Ethan’s power revolves around control of the celestial fire. Not only is he seemingly impervious to actual flame, but he can suck the life energy out of a person, or restore it. Dylan, though powerless, helps out this group of genies whenever he can.

Hamza Rashad is a third generation Arab-American, and a devout Muslim. Herod granted him the ability to “Clockstop,” or stop time within a certain area around him for a limited amount of time.

Gwendolyn Matsura, daughter of a Japanese buisnessman, could best be described as a raver-chick. Herod bestowed this sometime D.J. and drama-queen with a sort of psionic dragon, which rests on her body in the form of a large tattoo. When needed, Sweetie (as she calls her) springs from her body and becomes a very real threat. Though vicious in combat, any damage taken by the dragon affects Gwen herself. Since she often finds it hard to control it, this often becomes a problem when the dragon confronts someone much more powerful. The dragon has become the preferred mode of transportation for the group of genies, as it seems to have no trouble flying the four of them where they need to go.

Ja’nelle (Janet Eloise) Moorhead was a short, pudgy girl before encountering Herod. Gaining an array of telepathic powers along with impressive new height (over six feet) and a perfect figure, this stands as proof that all super-heroines must be, at the very least, a perfect specimen of woman. Ja’nelle can project herself and the other genies into the astral plane, possesses limited telepathy, can communicate with the recently dead, and can sense the truth in what others are saying. The minds of her fellow genies are still very hard for her to read, however.

The Story So Far

The most recent story arch deals with the death (again) of Caitlin by a mysterious group called the Chrome. These faceless beings copied Caitlin's genetic material, and used it to create a copy of her for some unknown purpose. The real Caitlin was resurrected by a freak combination of Ethan, Ja’nelle, and Gwen’s powers a short time later. Unfortunately, immediately upon her resurrection, Herod appeared to her and marked her as he did the others.

There are many plot lines that are still sorting themselves out from the beginning of the series. Among them- Gwen’s father is being pressured by a Japanese mob to turn his company over to them. Ja’nelle deals with pressure from her mother, who is a high ranking advisor of the President, and the necessary Secret Service officers who are always present, as well as her sudden physical change. Ethan and Dylan face family turmoil revolving around the loss of their father. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this story is the personal strife of each of the characters, which is only made worse by the fact that they now have all of the benefits and downfalls of having powers.

Thoughts

While there are still some elements of T&A in this title, it is not nearly as pronounced as it was during the original Gen13 run. The main draw of this title is certainly the story over the pin-up shots of barely clothed heroines. Not to say that the art is not good, in fact, the recent work by Ale’ Garza and Sandra Hope has fit the story well. To his credit, Claremont certainly seems to have a long-term plan for the story, and the fact that he is taking his time in telling it right is appreciated.

And even though the dialogue is a bit cheesy at times, the conflict between the team is also interesting to read. They are four very different people who would under normal circumstances never associate with each other. The fact that they find a way to work with one another, while all the while bickering, makes for some interesting tension. The fact that none one of them really has any idea what to do with the powers they have been granted also makes for a compelling story. All too often you have the same formula – kid (person) gets super powers, decides to fight crime/evil/whatever. These four have no idea what they are supposed to do, or why. But the fights seem to come to them anyway.

Bottom Line

Though I have read some less-than-stellar reviews of this book, in all, I feel this new incarnation of Gen13 is a good read. The story is currently mid-arc, but as it is only at issue #10, scrounging up back issues should not be that hard to find. Along with the release of #12 on August 13th, DC is releasing Gen13: SEPTEMBER SONG, which collects issues 0-6, which will be a great way for new readers to catch up on back issues. Meanwhile, issue #11 is due out in stores next Wednesday, July 9th.

For fans of good, well plotted-out tales, I have to recommend this Gen13. It is good fun and a great ongoing story rolled into one.