Who Is That Masked Man — Reviewing ‘Mr. Terrific: Year One’ #3

Fresh off stealing the show in the hit summer film Superman, Mr. Terrific’s journey down a hard memory lane continues. It is an origin story with style — and heartache — that unravels as past and present continue to collide.

Mr. Terrific: Year One #3 brings the title character a new sense of purpose and focus, as well as a spiffy first costume, in a story from Al Letson, Valentine De Landro, Marissa Louise, Edwin Galmon, and Lucas Gattoni.

I could not love this series anymore than I currently do, even if I tried.

Much like the aforementioned film, Letson is doing a fantastic job reminding the audience that Terrific is smart but not just “the smart guy.” He’s strong, agile, down for a fight, tenacious, driven, and looking out for those who are often left behind in society. A hero through-and-through who just happens to also be able to beat you with his tremendous brain.

Seeing this version of Michael Holt, both past and present, is so much fun. The updated origin really gives the character his due and delivers a powerful story. I would read an entire ongoing series featuring Terrific from this creative team in a heartbeat.

Much of what Holt dealt with in his past and origins are rough emotionally, mentally, and physically. De Landro is always a perfect artist to turn to for things of this nature. An inherent roughness runs through the artwork that gives the series tone that just right boost.

Plenty of really sharp details and depth to behold along the way. Sprinkles of exaggeration really play well with the emotive work that is being done for the character. Each of the sequences has enough kinetic energy to give it a smooth flow.

Darker tones and a bit of saturation are clear in the colors that Louise pulls for the art. Keeping it in the middle with a sort of natural or toned-down appearance. It gives the surroundings and the world we see a more tangible and familiar feeling while dropping in vibrant splashes at the right time for maximum effect.

On the other side is the work that Galmon does, which is slick and smooth with vibrancy baked right into the recipe. This dynamic of artwork keeps working wonderfully, allowing past and present to feel unique from one another. Thematically, the styles befit the changes in Terrific’s life and circumstances in each time period.

I continue to love the work that Gattoni does with lettering. It hits all the right notes for delivering standard dialogue, sounds, and captions. Then, things kick up considerably to include colors, fontal changes, bubbles of various designs, and more. Each choice provides particular energy for every word or sound, keeping in mind that these are fun, colorful, superhero books built on fantasy and boldness.

Mr. Terrific: Year One #3 is now available from DC Comics.