World Famous Comics: The Compleat Next Men, Vol. 2
The Compleat Next Men, Vol. 2
By: John Byrne Publisher: IDW Publishing Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: IDW Publishing Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 504 Publication Date: December 31, 2008
Product Description: The Next Men, having been falsely convicted of murder, break out of jail and go underground... literally. They head for the abandoned subway tunnels of New York and find them less abandoned than everyone thought, filled with a secret community of homeless people. But they can't stay hidden forever, and when the government's forces finally track down the Next Men it becomes both an exercise in survival and a lesson in betrayal. The second volume of John Byrne's Compleat Next Men collects over 500 pages of the groundbreaking superhero series.
Tightly plotted, well drawn, but stiff and wooden John Byrne's Next Men concludes in this phone-book sized volume. Well it ends on a bit of cliff-hanger but nothing further was published so this is pretty much the end.
Plot-lines set up in opening story, over a 1000 pages before, are finished and the world is changed forever.
The art is as strong as ever and the B&W reproduction is very clear and very crisp. Special credit has to go to Byrne's ability to draw faces and expressions, even in black and white its easy to tell characters apart.
The villain is suitably nasty, besides his various evil plots he is personally lecherous, racist and slimy. A great character.
So why only 3 stars? The volume feels padded. While the first volume went with the theme of 'realistic' super humans this volume quickly gets distracted with a long, 4th-wall-breaking plot involving the Next Men and a Stan Lee-like comic book publisher. Soon comic book characters are coming to life in the Next Men's world and they have cross-overs with Hellboy and other characters. Too many characters speak in the same wooden exposition-laiden voices. It feels like everything is explained a dozen times.
For all of Byrne's careful planning in the storyline, some things - including one of the main villains - seem to come out of nowhere.
But it's a solid read and for the price is well worth the money.
A conclusion and a beginning Wrapping up the run of the `90s comic series, THE COMPLETE JOHN BYRNE'S NEXT MEN VOLUME 2 collects issues 13 - 30 plus all the M4 backup stories in an affordable black and white trade paperback. As the story heads towards its conclusion, Byrne's superpowered youngsters begin to realize the effect their presence has on the world outside of their idyllic artificial environment. The various storylines all come together fairly well, setting the stage for the "beginning" of the story... and yes, you read that correctly. Byrne has cooked up some great time travel scenarios in his various works, and JBNM contains a doozy, with plenty of paradoxes that will leave you thinking. You can reread the story and see all the clues that he planted from the beginning. Additionally, you'll see Hellboy, Monkeyman & O'Brien, Concrete, some characters from Elfquest, an agitated Mike Mignola, and Byrne's hilarious jab at Image Comics (see the actual cover of this book for just what that involves).
Even though this is printed in black and white, both volumes give you almost 1000 pages at $45 total price, which is a great deal. Plus, the covers and paper are of better quality than what you get with a Marvel Essential. Of course, if you're more particular, you can pick up the upcoming hardcover Premiere Editions that collect 10 issues apiece in color for $50. Either way, you'll be experiencing one of the best series of the period. The only problem is, even though the story is cyclical, Byrne had plans for a second series that would address the fate of the Next Men. Apparently, those plans were never put in motion due to the collapse of the comic industry in the mid-`90s; however, this first series works well enough on its own - a true testament to Byrne's abilities as a writer.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
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