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Saturday 31 December 2022

Danger Street #1 Review (Tom King, Jorge Fornes)


Danger Street is Tom King’s latest re-something of an obscure DC title which must make money regardless of their esotericism because they just keep a-coming (though any interest generated never seems to last).


The Dingbats of Danger Street was a ‘70s series by Jack Kirby starring four kids - Krunch, Good Looks, Non-Fat, and Bananas - who are just goofy kids dossing around. This is probably King’s deepest pull from the DC vaults because who could possibly shiv a git about something so banal? It’s also among his worst comics - I was gonna say THE worst but Supergirl and Love Everlasting also exist and are completed while, who knows, Danger Street might get better somewhere along the line (although I doubt this).

The first issue is a jumble of boring nonsense. Three dudes, one of them Metamorpho, the others I didn’t recognise, have boosted Doctor Fate’s helmet (what happened to the good doc himself? Dunno) which will somehow open a portal to Apokolips where they hope to summon Darkseid for a punch-up - or something. Not the best idea anyone’s ever had. The Dingbats are joyriding on a beach. Some guy called Jack is auditioning to be a news pundit when he’s not leaping around a city dressed as a colourful “ogre” superhero. Some New Gods are doing New Gods-type things - ie. standing around looking silly while talking magnanimous rubbish. And, because we don’t seem to have enough unknowns in this series, the Green Team makes an appearance for raisins.

It’s boring. Really, really boring. I’m not a DC/Jack Kirby fanboy who lives for references and easter eggs but maybe if you’re a child of the ‘70s who does, Danger Street #1 might be the greatest comic you’ve read in decades. I didn’t find any of the characters or storylines the least bit interesting and thought King’s wordy script was an unrewarding chore to slog through.

Danger Street #1 is an incomprehensible and dreary first issue that I think most comics readers, even King fans, won’t get much out of - unfortunately, King’s no-hitter streak continues with yet another mind-numbingly dull series.

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