Firestorm: The Nuclear Man

    I've learned recently from social media that Firestorm is a fan favorite. He's been around for about 40 years, but he's hardly gotten any respect. Considered a "B-grade" superhero, he's the type of character that often dies during a major cross-over event in order to throw readers off track when someone like Supergirl, the Flash, or Batman bites the dust.

    But in the past few months, Firestorm has been elevated to 'A-list' status what with him being a major plot focal point on the CW's The Flash. He's been so well received, he's even going to star in a yet unnamed spin-off next year. Working title for the show is "The Atom" but all bets are on a Suicide Squad type show.

   With the Nuclear Man's new found stardom and the fact that I recently read an issue of DC Presents in which you needed to read the first 5 issues of Firestorm (volume 1, 1978) I decided to finally give that short-lived series a go. Though the book only lasted 5 issues, it actually had a secret 6th issue that did see print. But unless you have about $35,000 to buy the extremely scared 'Cancelled Comics Cavalcade' (of which only 35 issues were ever issued) then you'd be hard pressed to find out what happened to the combined might of teenager Ronnie Raymond and troubled physicist Martin Stein.

   Thankfully, this trade from 2011 includes that ve
ry rare story. This book also contains several backup features from the Flash in which the adventures of Firestorm pick up again after Superman invites the Nuclear Man to join the Justice League.  What this collection doesn't include is that pivotal DC Presents story in which we learn of  what transpired during Firestorm's year long absence from the superhero community and the Man of Steel's initial invitation to the JLA. Also missing is the issue of Justice League of America in which Firestorm is inducted as its youngest member.  I think both stories should have been included as they are vital to the plot of those Flash back-ups I mentioned earlier.

    Another story missing from the volume is the fabled 7th issue of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man. Technically, there isn't a 7th issue though it is advertised in the Cancelled Comics feature. But maybe co-creators Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom might team up for a Firestorm: Lost Adventures one-shot to explore that missing plotline.

   Though I only needed this book to finish my run as I already had issue 1-5, I'm not disappointed in the least on the stories I did receive. There was just a few missed opportunities here like a small forward or afterward that might on included some great backstory as to the creation or cancellation of this series. With DC being very nostalgia centric during its Convergence storyline and the fall 2015 spin-off, I think the publisher would be remiss if they didn't issue a new Firestorm collection to hit the shelves very soon. Hopefully, it will feature some of these omitted features that I think could have made this collection an essential piece to any Firestorm fan's collection.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.