INFINITE FRONTIER #1/ Script by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON/ Art by XERMANICO/ Cover by MITCH GERADS/ Published by DC COMICS

Infinite Frontier #1 picks up where Infinite Frontier #0 ended. Indeed, many of its’ mini-stories seem like chapters cut from the first issue due to lack of time and space. More of the same is always welcome when Joshua Williamson is writing, but it does have the side-effect of making it seem like not much happens in this issue to push the main narrative forward.

The central story, to the degree which there is one, centers around what appears to be the Flashpoint Batman, Thomas Wayne (or a Batman very like him) crash-landing on the Earth of President Superman (aka Calvin Ellis). He has a warning for Barry Allen (the Earth-0 version), who is off exploring the mysterious Earth-Omega. If this doesn’t make much sense to you, you may need to reread Infinite Frontier #0. It has been a few months, after all.

Thankfully, Williamson’s grasp of these characters is strong and the fits that might be brought on by too-much-continuity and references to other books is more than balanced out by some wonderful character building scenes. Chief among these are a brief scene where Alan Scott tries to bond with his son, Obsidian, and a comedic interlude in which Mr. Bones attempts to recruit Cameron Chase to a new and improved DEO. (Admittedly, I may have enjoyed that more than most being one of the three people who read Chase when it first came out.)

The artwork by Xermanico is solid, apart from a few oddly thick outlines here and there, where the inks are strangely heavier for no apparent reason. The flow of the action sequences is fantastic, however, and the colors are suitably vibrant throughout.

If you enjoyed Infinite Frontier #0, you’ll want to continue to pick this series up. It’s still unclear just where this story is going, but it’s been one heck of a ride so far and seems likely to continue to impress. Thankfully, the great character scenes more than make up for the meandering pace.