By Zack Quaintance — If Commanders in Crisis is writer Steve Orlando’s updated take on/homage to the classic DC Comics story, Crisis on Infinite Earths, than Project - Patron #1 must be his take on/homage to Death of Superman. At least that’s the impression one gets reading the first issue, which is out this week and illustrated (fantastically) by Patrick Piazzalunga, colored by Carlos Lopez, and lettered by Thomas Mauer.

This book stands well on its own as an interesting story (and we’ll get into that), but first, I think it’s important to note that in order to understand the full context of this book, one should understand where Orlando is at in his career. After a few years of working on exclusive contracts with DC Comics (interspersed with some strong creator-owned work on books like Crude and Virgil), Orlando recently began to fan out to other publishers. This has allowed him to start writing freer and more modern takes on DC analog stories. Project - Patron is certainly that.

This comic opens with a relatively faithful summary of Death of Superman, changing just enough details as to seem at once new and familiar. From there, it develops a really fascinating concept — Superman, er, The Patron, returns to the world, but is actually some kind of empty shell being piloted by a team of government operatives. This is an awesome concept, the type you might hear someone propose in line at a comic con and respond to with effusive praise for it being so so clever. It’s great stuff.

But a great concept is nothing without corresponding execution (I told you we’d get into that!), and this book has well-done comics craft in excess. Piazzalunga’s work in this comic is nothing short of a star turn, accentuated nigh-perfectly by the coloring of Carlos Lopez. The art team really sets the tone for the various segments of the book. The opening summary/flashback sequence uses slightly-washed out colors to evoke the feeling of reading decades-old comics. It then shifts to a more contemporary coloring style to subliminally shift readers back into the present. It’s great stuff, the perfect compliment to Piazzalunga linework that would be at-home in the best Big 2 capes comics.

So yes, there’s quite a bit to like in this comic. My favorite quality was the ambitious scope of the narrative. Orlando and co. seem bent on ensuring this book isn’t just limited to being a (very) clever concept, working to layer drama and narrative twists on top of the strong conceptual work at this story’s foundation. As with any new #1 issue, where the book goes from here will ultimately determine its reception, but I can easily see this becoming the best updated compliment to one of DC’s classic stories, Death of Superman.

Overall: With Project - Patron #1 — the new book from Steve Orlando, Patrick Piazzalunga, and co. — one can easily see this becoming the best updated compliment to one of DC’s classic stories, Death of Superman. 9.5/10

REVIEW: Project - Patron #1

Project Patron #1
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Patrick Piazzalunga
Colorist: Carlos Lopez
Letterer: Thomas Mauer
Publisher: AfterShock Comics
Thirty years ago, the world watched in horror as THE PATRON, a hero sent as humanitarian aid from a different dimension, went punch for punch with WOE, a primordial beast and a perfect match for our mighty protector. In the end, hero and villain alike fell…but the Patron returned – and continues to defend us to this day!
At least, that’s what we’ve all been told.
The truth is, the Patron died that day along with Woe. The UN replaced the Patron with a Reploid, designed to mimic the real Patron and continue on his mission of protection.
Today, the Patron Reploid is secretly piloted by an elite team – a team prepared for anything… except for the death of one of their own.
Price: $4.99
Buy It Digitally: Project Patron #1

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Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.