If the first year was about establishing the world and introducing some of the more recognizable names from Milestone’s past, then the second year is about fleshing out other parts of the world. Without further ado, let’s start with…
BLOOD SYNDICATE
This mini-series focus on a group of people in Paris Island, members of various gangs that now have superpowers and are fighting for control of the neighborhood. Our story starts when two former gang members, Wise Son and Tech-9, return from war overseas and adjust to what life in Paris Island is like after the Big Bang. That includes dealing with someone looking to rule the island his way - Holocaust.
At first glance, there are similarities between a gang with superpowers and a group of supervillains working together. But there are two differences regarding a gang that this comic does tap into a bit. First is their goals. They don’t really care that much about world domination or anything grand like that. They want to protect what is theirs. Another essential difference is gang culture. There are power struggles, but everyone does have a close history within a gang because they grew up together. It’s a bit more complex than gathering people like Lex Luthor & Black Manta & Joker and have them work together.
Like I mentioned, this comic does tap into these aspects a bit. And it is overall a good book. I just feel like it could slow down just a tad. For example, Icon and Rocket show up in issue 5 to confront Holocaust only to then retreat. But then in the next issue they show up to talk to the Blood Syndicate after they kill Holocaust. And considering Holocaust showed up in the Milestone Returns one-shot & made a small flashback cameo in Static: Season One, I thought he would be around for a longer time and end up doing more. But on the other hand, I do kinda see where they were coming from when they made the decisions they made on both of these ideas. So neither were bad ways of handling them. I would still ultimately recommend this book. But let’s move away from Dakota as we take a look at the next book…
DUO
Kelly & David are scientists who are working on creating nanobots that can help Humanity in a variety of different ways such as curing disease. But an ambush at their lab puts David’s life at risk, forcing Kelly to use the nanobots to heal and save David’s life. The only problem is they consume Kelly to do it, transferring her consciousness into David’s head. With two minds in one body and a swarm of nanobots within they can use to do a whole variety of things, they find themselves going up against powerful enemies who are now stepping out of the shadows.
I love the concept of this book! It’s a different kind of body horror, and this book raises up ideas and questions that should be addressed. How do you know Kellly is actually Kelly and not just a copy of her memories? How does it feel to be without your own body, to be in someone else’s without the ability to actually feel or touch anything? I highly enjoyed the writing the focuses on the main characters and how they respond to the events happening around them, as well as the revelations being shown to them. This book introduces a group called The Immutables, a group of immortal beings secretly protecting the planet. There are moments where the writing of the dialogue could be altered a bit. The writing for this book is similar to how Brian Michael Bendis writes it. But towards the end of the mini-series, my nit-picky issue with the dialogue for The Immutables does ultimately go away. This is a must-read! Let’s close off this year with something more educational with…
MILESTONES IN HISTORY #1
This one-shot focuses on telling real-world history focused on black and non-white historical figures. Some of the stories are told through characters in the Milestone universe like Icon and Rocket. But there isn’t any major development from this one-shot for the actual Milestone universe. This is a hard thing for me to review because I don’t have much experience reading real-world history in a comic format. But based on what I’ve read, it’s laid out well and doesn’t overwhelm you with exposition. And I think it’s still worth the read. Chances are you’ll learn something you never knew. Or maybe get interested enough to do your own research.
And thus, the second year of Milestone Returns comes to an end. See y’all next time to review the third year titles soon!