Review: ‘Doctor Tomorrow #1’ – Will He Save The World Or Destroy It?
by Tony Thornley
In our day and age a new superhero doesn’t come around that often. However, Doctor Tomorrow, Valiant Entertainment’s newest hero, may not be what he seems…
Alejandro Arbona, Jim Towe, Diego Rodriguez, and Clayton Cowles tell the story of a strange new hero in Doctor Tomorrow #1.
Bart Simms is just your ordinary American teenager. However, his alternate reality self is so much more- that Bart is the world’s greatest superhero, Doctor Tomorrow- and he just showed up on our Bart’s doorstep. But that new arrival might have consequences that he could never predict!
The story is a complete revamp of the Valiant character of the same name, really only sharing a name and a few design elements. Arbona kicks off this story with what seems to be fairly standard superheroics. It’s fun and exciting and transitions into a twist on a classic superhero origin. It also builds up Bart and his world quite a bit.
Bart has a tragic family situation, a fully realized best friend and usual teenage problems. It’s tropey, but fun, mostly avoiding cliche. But then Arbona makes it interesting and throws in the Timewalker, one of Valiant’s most significant heroes. It’s a killer twist that makes the preceding 20 pages much more than it appears.
Towe’s line work is cartoony and energetic. It has the feel of an all-ages superhero series. It fits the character, and sets an fun adventure tone, which Rodriguez matches with his bright colors. His design for the Doctor Tomorrow suit is similar to the last Valiant character to use the name, but it feels fresh and inspired by classic superheroes.
This is a fun first issue that I’m excited to read more of. There’s more going on here than it seems and it’s going to be a great ride for that.
Doctor Tomorrow #1 is available now from Valiant Entertainment.
