Review - Doctor Tomorrow #1 (@ValiantComics)

"Doctor Tomorrow!"

Being a doctor brings with it plenty of responsibility. In Doctor Tomorrow #1 from Valiant Comics, that responsibility comes with a much larger burden. The issue is written by Alejandro Arbona, illustrated by Jim Towe, colored by Diego Rodriguez and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Teen hothead and star athlete, Bart Simms, is about to meet the Valiant Universe's greatest hero...Himself!

Doctor Tomorrow is an interesting character whose backstory is underpinned by time travel, plenty of which is on display by Arbona in the first issue. Arbona does a solid job of introducing unfamiliar readers to the character through a series of interactions featuring two differently aged versions of the character. The dialogue jumps back and forth between superhero and schoolyard banter, all of which is effective at characterizing Bart Simms. There's not much in the way of a cliffhanger in the issue; instead, Arbona's focus is largely on ensuring that Simms is a known quantity by the end and the base plot threads are available. Hadrian gets very little page-time as a villain, although the time he's included is more than sufficient for him to achieve villain status.

Towe's artwork emphasizes character builds through thick linework that provides an emphatic break from the backgrounds. Hadrian in particular is rendered in a way that's reminiscent of a Dragonball villain, rife with plenty of energy circulating around him. The aforementioned backgrounds are pretty minimal in terms of detail, although Towe does enough to help the reader understand the setting being focused on. Towe relies on a pretty standard panel grid that struggles to keep the action contained, mostly because many of the character perform actions outside of the panels that helps with depth. The colors by Rodriguez feel fairly standard throughout, although Hadrian's purple burst seems to cut through the otherwise standard coloring.

Doctor Tomorrow #1 is very much in the style of Valiant Comics as it's got a fun superhero rooted in humanity. Bart Simms is tasked with convincing himself that he's the hero he ultimately becomes. Arbona's script is consistent and does what a first issue script should do in terms of character introductions and plot development. Towe's artwork is very appropriate in terms of its superhero feel. Doctor Tomorrow #1 is a pretty fun read that portends a lot more chaos as the story unfolds.

Doctor Tomorrow #1 is available February 19.