Page 1 of 1 Firestorm by Stuart Moore
Submitted by Jason F. McDonald 
(Dec 21, 2005)Firestorm Vol. III
created by Dan Jolley and artist Chris Cross.
Written by Stuart Moore
Art by Jamal Igle and Rob Stull.
DC Comics.
Each issue of Firestorm begins with the explanation that Jason Rusch is “an ordinary teenager - except in times of danger. Then he glows with the power of an atomic furnace, merges his form with another person, and together they wield the primal forces of the universe”. He’s also a young black man from Detroit, Michigan.
Up until a few months ago Jason lived with his father, who is disabled, intimidating, and sometimes physically abusive. It was because of his father’s abuse that Jason’s mother left the family when he was a child.
Jason Rusch graduated high school and has plans for his future. But he got mixed up with a small time drug dealer, “delivering a package,” as a shortcut to earning money for college. It was on that unfortunate “delivery” that he was hit by a beam of light and transformed into a super hero. This isn’t Smallville, where Superman/Clark Kent grew up.
This is Detroit and Firestorm/Jason Rusch has real life problems.
As a white writer, Stuart Moore aware of the implications of writing one of the only black superheroes with a major title and is careful not to insult his readers. The story lines so far have touched on racial aspects of the character only in a few humorous side comments. Jason Rusch’s “blackness” is relevant but not his only defining quality. He is a well-rounded character that Moore wants to have fun with:
“…if Jason isn’t having fun as Firestorm, why the hell would he do it? But he’ll have moments of tragedy and sudden failure, too.” (Comic Book Resources)
Moore has extensive experience in the comic book industry, mostly as an editor in the science fiction genre. The move to Firestorm makes sense for Moore because “The Nuclear Man” is a superhero with a scientific basis. In fact, Moore’s father is a nuclear physicist and his work prior to coming on board Firestorm was Para, which took place in an abandoned nuclear reactor.
The artwork is as (if not more) important to the quality of the book. The main penciller for Firestorm, Jamal Igle, explained why he decided to draw Firestorm:
“I can relate to Jason [Firestorm], not just because he’s a young black male, but also because he and I come from very similar backgrounds.” (from Comicon)
Igle is an African American artist with his own previous comic book experience including work on various Wolverine, Green Lantern, and Spiderman issues. His artistic rendering of the characters in Firestorm is emotional and authentic. The drawings of Jason and his father are especially compelling, expressing the tension and complexity of their relationship.
The most recent issue of Firestorm is a good example of what there is to appreciate with the series. Beware spoilers past this point.
Firestorm #20: Lost in Space with Animal Man is part of DC’s Infinite Crisis mini-series. The story takes place in space, on New Cronos. An eclectic group of superheroes are traveling to the center of the universe to stop the Infinite Crisis.
Stuart Moore has been public about his feelings on the Iraq war. In a 2004 interview with Comic World News he said: “I didn’t really expect the American dominance of the world to last forever, but I didn’t expect us to shame ourselves quite this badly and hasten it along so quickly, either. It’s chilling…this big hole we — the world — have dug ourselves into.”
Firestorm #20 begins with Starfire giving Firestorm and the other superheroes combat training. She says, “Before we go any further…I want you to ask yourself something. What is war?” Their space voyage is interrupted when the superheroes find themselves caught in the middle of a battle between Rannians and Thanagarians.
Firestorm and Animal Man investigate the damaged Rannian spacecraft and find two Rannian scientist who tell them about the invasion of their world by the Thanagarians. As a protest against the occupation, the scientists kidnapped an ancient bird sacred to the Thanagarians. The Thanagarians pursued the Rannian scientists across the galaxy.
Later, when Animal Man fights the Thanagarians we learn about the destruction of the planet Thanagar from of their soldiers.
Out numbered and dying of radiation poison, one of the Rannian’s kills the sacred bird. In response the Thanagarians destroy the Rannian ship. Firestorm flies from the wreckage carrying the bird’s corpse. Animal Man returns the corpse to a Thanagarian soldier with the words: “Please accept this as the spoils of your victory…”
The message and meaning is subtle, which speaks to the skill of everyone involved in the issue. Kenneth Burke, author of “Introduction to Literary Form” wrote:
“It is questionable whether the feelings of horror, repugnance, hatred would furnish the best groundwork as a deterrent to war…. And they might well provide the firmest basis upon which the ‘heroism’ of a new war could be erected.”
Having Firestorm involved but not participating in actual combat is a twist on the typical “war is hell –but keeping fighting” story. The final scenes as Firestorm carries the bird’s corpse from the wreckage and watches Animal Man give it to the Thanagarian doesn’t speak to repugnance or hatred, but to sadness, tenderness, and respect. These sentiments might possibly be groundwork on which to base a deterrent to war.
Firestorm is not the typical superhero. Jason Rusch is a teenager with real life problems whose sudden transformation in to a “superhero” only adds to the complications of his life. In Issue #16, for example, Firestorm expressed the deep pain he feels from being abandoned by his mother. “Why didn’t she take me with her?” he asked. Firestorm’s bravery is not found in his “fighting the bad guys” but in his asking questions like that, the hardest questions to ask oneself, even as an adult.
Jason F. McDonald
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