The Challenger Showdown
Writer: Scott Snyder, Aaron Gillespie
Art Team: Andy Kubert, V Ken Marion, Klaus Janson,
Sandu Florea, Brand Anderson, Dinei Ribeiro
Release Date: July 18, 2018
Cover Price: $2.99
Personally coming into this issue, having no prior knowledge of the Challengers throughout DC history, other than a reference to the team in Dark Nights: Metal, I can say I'm more open minded about the concept after having enjoyed issue two more than issue one. With that said I could see the formula this series has followed for the most part taking shape and wonder, if like the title Damage and other New Age books, I will just get bored quickly with the way things progress. Only one way to find out right, lets jump in.
The issue beings with a flashback scene that revisits Krunch's past events in Suicide Slums as we peek in on our red headed powerhouse character as a child, learning about the 'Dingbats of Danger Street', and later their downfall. From there we're off quickly to check in on current events as the old Challengers and the New Challengers discuss who's the real deal. Since heroes are meeting for the first time here, with the old Challengers summoned by Aquaman to the scene we're told (I guess that was what he was doing last issue), a giant ruckus ensues.
Things get interesting/crazy when the fight is broken up by the suddenly back from the dead, gentleman off the floor, that calls himself Prof, or to more specifically, a version of him Dark Multiverse. Prof goes on to expalin himself, filling in the characters and the reader on some how's and why's of the series so far. While all this exposition is occurring two things happen, the New Challengers are called off to a job suddenly, but not before Krunch, who doesn't have the cleanest past, might get some bad ideas in the process about what they're being sent after.
So it's off to Skartaris from there for the New Challengers who are quickly drawn into a battle versus zombie raptors, yes you read that right. Meanwhile, staying with the old Challengers they seem to have lost track of the 'Dark Universe' Prof and begin trying to track him down, as the mountain attacks them. Its a sudden weird jump in logic for me after all seemed okay with the parties in question. This all leads to a cliffhanger this issue that I wish I could spoil for you but I have no idea what it means if I'm being completely honest.
Overall, as a whole this story continues to only just be mediocre. My big problem is the constant jumping around to places, for things, because reasons and its too formulaic unable to quite cross that mark to being more than average for me as a series. I rather like the character origins, however the things other than that seem too connected to older Challengers lore. I have to be missing out on a lot of the references, and in this case cliffhangers, I should be picking up and getting some enjoyment out of. This issue managed to be pretty informative as a whole to the series but doesn't quite cross into territory where I could recommend it to anyone who reads comics and say 'yea, you'd enjoy this'.
I enjoy the art alright enough again this issue, but I feel like its not quite embracing the crazy enough for some of the concept this series wants to broach, and is a better fit for more street level super hero fare. There is nothing wrong with the character designs or anything like, they all look great, but I would like to see a brighter more detailed environment that they're dealing with than what we've been given so far.
Bits and Pieces
Having no history with previous teams of the Challengers of the Unknown is giving me a hard time really getting invested into this series full steam ahead. My favorite parts so far, are again this issue, the origins and learning about the New Challengers prior to coming into the crazy world they've been drafted into. The rest is kind of flying over my head and possibly rushed along because the series has a limited life span. If you have a connection to the teams of the past I'd say give it a shot otherwise your interests probably lie elsewhere.
6.0/10
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