Nanotech Warsuits

The Shield #1 (DC, November 2009, $3.99)
"Kicking Down the Door, Part 1" Script: Eric Trautmann, Pencils: Marco Rudy, Inks: Nick Gray, Colors: Art Lyon, Letters: Sam Cipriano.

While I was aware of DC's 1991-1992 Impact Comics line of MLJ comics licensed from Archie, I missed the late 2000's license, which revived the Shield—now named Joe Higgins—and another hero, the Web. In this first issue, the Shield skydives into the Al-Hadidiyah Mountains on the border between Bialya and Kahndaq. He tries to approach a village undetected, but is ambushed by a young soldier.



The soldier takes the Shield to the mullah, who directs him to the stronghold of the insurgents—and asks him to leave the village alone. "Our culture is in ruins... but at least the Americans have brought us comic books." The Shield encounters a small team of Americans who've gone missing, and they fire on him—just before Magog shows up.

The comic addresses some interesting ideas: Superheroes as threats and killers rather than saviors, nanotech warsuits, and the use value—or lack thereof—of cultural propaganda. This issue also includes a 10-page backup story featuring Inferno (interesting!), written by Brandon Jerwa and drawn by Greg Scott; as well as a six-page preview of REBELS Annual: Starro the Conqueror #1.

Availability: This issue was collected in The Shield Vol. 1: Kicking Down the Door.