Writer – Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas
Artist – Brian Murray
Colours – Gene D’Angelo
Letters – Jean Simek

In this particular issue of Young All-Stars, Roy Thomas and company take a look at the origins of Iron Munro and yet, the book does not necessarily look at him but at what one has to assume is his father or at least creator – Hugo Danner, the lead character from Philip Wylie’s Gladiator. Thomas pulls much from the book though some of it is left out for obvious reasons, mainly trying to fit it all within the confines of a twenty-something page comic book and he adapts it so that when it comes to Iron Munro, it will end up making sense. Readers see Hugo’s father create the formula and inject his pregnant wife with it, see Hugo as a child and watch him grow. He encounters many trials and travails as he gets older as his powers set him apart from the rest of humanity and while the man tries to hide his powers as best he can, there are times when it is simply impossible and he has to go on the run as those around him are unable to understand the reality of the situation. Thomas makes Danner a tragic figure, much as he was in the book, for while he might have the world at his fingertips in one way, he has to remain apart from it if he is to live at all. The most interesting thing about all of this is not the retelling of the story, which is done expertly by Thomas and artist Brian Murray but the fact that they are tying it all back to Iron Munro, providing him with a very rich history and an understanding of his powers through Danner. As for the second part of this tale which is to be included in the next issue, one has to assume that it will involve how Munro was conceived, how his life was before he finally met up with the All-Stars and what happens to Danner and his father’s work when all is said and done. It would probably be too much to assume that Danner lived through the events of the last few pages in this book but that remains to be seen leaving the book off on a cliff-hanger that demands readers return for more.

4 out of 5