THE NATIONAL GUARDIANS #3, by Big Bang Comics! on 7/1/23, brings the eclectic super team back after years in the shadows to battle possessive villains, ancient gods, mystical curses, and returning villains.
The Details
- Written by: Gary Carlson, Sterling Clark, Ron Frenz, Scott Casper
- Art by: Sterling Clark, Ken McFarlane, Mike Matthew, Ron C. Williams
- Colors by: Tim Stiles, Shayne Cui
- Letters by: Tim Stiles
- Cover art by: Sterling Clark, Mike Matthew, Tim Stiles
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover price: $6.95
- Release date: July 1, 2023
Is THE NATIONAL GUARDIANS #3 Good?
Big Bang Comics! delivers three stories to astonish when Big Bang’s eclectic group of superheroes make their return in THE NATIONAL GUARDIANS #3
‘Til Death Do Us Part!
Iron Maiden escapes her containment chamber to possess the Badge’s drones and sow chaos in a bid to eventually free her father, Dr. Cadaver, from prison so he can reconstitute her body and soul. Without his book of dark magic, Dr. Cadaver seeks the aid of an Ethiopian god to restore his disembodied daughter to evil life.
Gary Carlson and Sterling Clark take the helm to bring the National Guardians back to the LCS shelves after an 8-year hiatus with an adventure about revenge, family, and magic. Clark and McFarlane’s art homages the best of Jack Kirby and John Romita Sr., while the script fits snugly into classic Avengers-style shenanigans.
Admittedly, the dialog and narration are clunky in spots, but if you’re in the mood for a new comic with a throwback feel, you’re in luck.
The Abducted
Ntombinde the warrior is called to find a missing hunter who went after the dangerous Lion-Man killing the village’s livestock. When Ntombinde finds the savage beast, she finds a clue to the beast’s origin and a strange curse whose circle must be broken to win peace for the village.
Frenz and Clark’s short story is an excellent jumping-on point to introduce new readers to Ntombinde as a fierce, clever, powerful warrior who comprises an equal mix of brains and brawn. The tale works as a quick one-and-done, and the art looks great, but the twist in the tale is telegraphed from a mile away.
Out Of Saigon
The Badge and Agent Roberta Ryan are sent to Vietnam to retrieve an old ally, Sang, who can’t believe the two former sidekicks are still alive and youthful. When the agents learn Sang is hunted by their old adversary, Dr. Zimmer, the past is about to catch up with the present for everyone.
Scott Casper’s short story combines exotic locations, espionage, action, and superheroics for the second excellent jumping-on point in this issue. This time, new readers get a great primer on The Badge as the remote-controlled enforcer. The art looks great, and the story feels bigger than you’d suspect for a short story, but the dialog could use a pass to iron out the bumps.
What’s great about THE NATIONAL GUARDIANS #3? Comic fans who have a hankerin’ for classic Bronze Age superhero stories in the same arena as Jack Kirby’s Avengers get their wish granted. The stories are wildly imaginative, the character and creature designs are powerful, and the variety of plot developments touch everything from mysticism to science fiction and everything in between.
What’s not so great about THE NATIONAL GUARDIANS #3? If you caught the brief critiques on each story above, the biggest downpoint is the consistent clunkiness in the dialog and narration. The reading experience is unnaturally stiff, so you don’t feel like the characters are communicating in a natural voice.
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What’s THE NATIONAL GUARDIANS #3 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
By Request of the Publisher, this review will be spoiler free.
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Final Thoughts
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THE NATIONAL GUARDIANS #3 returns to the eclectic superhero team with three tales to astonish that feel like a trip back to the heyday of Jack Kirby’s Avengers comics. The imagination and art on display feel like a breath of fresh air, but the dialog/narration sorely needs a naturalness polish.
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