WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CRIMSON JUSTICE #1, by Mad Cave Studios on 5/21/25, visits Empire City when the police commissioner is murdered by a costumed villain, long thought dead.
Credits:
- Writer: Frank Tieri
- Artist: Inaki MIranda
- Colorist: Eva de la Cruz
- Letterer: Dave Sharpe
- Cover Artist: Inaki Miranda (cover A)
- Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
- Release Date: May 21, 2025
- Comic Rating: Mature (bloody violence, language, sexual situations)
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CRIMSON JUSTICE #1:
Plot Analysis:
Whatever Happened To The Crimson Justice #1 harkens back to the time of gritty, seedy cities and deconstructed heroes. The issue begins with Police Commissioner Burke activating the fabled Red Alert Signal, hoping the legendary Crimson Justice and his trusty sidekick Reddy would return after a forty-year absence. That night, someone does arrive. It’s the costumed villain Dr. Mayhem, presumed dead the same night Crimson Justice disappeared. The Commissioner’s hopes turn into a nightmare when the villain murders Burke.
The next day, the owner of John’s Coffee Shop keeps his cafe in order while he chit-chats with one of his regular customers, Willie. John keeps his place in order and doesn’t turn anyone away, even when the local gangster, Frankie, walks in for breakfast with his drug-addicted girlfriend, Sally. Willie is convinced the days of heroes, including Crimson Justice, were real, not some urban legend. John tells Willie that the stories were just rumors and hoaxes.
John turns on the cafe’s television. The room goes quiet when a special report flashes on the screen, reporting the news of Commissioner Burke’s death at the hands of Dr. Mayhem. Willie, needing material for his book, is elated that the stories are real. Frankie is elated that a law officer who gave him trouble over the years is gone. Sally grows concerned through her drug haze that Mayhem is back. John says nothing.
That evening, John returns home to find an envelope containing a letter taped to his front door. Commissioner Burke left instructions for the letter to be delivered to John if he should be killed. The letter is a confession by Burke that he knew John was secretly Crimson Justice, and it’s time for the hero to return.
First Impressions:
What Ever Happened to The Crimson Justice #1 is a perfectly okay take on vigilante superheroes who’ve hung up the cape, only to be called back into service. Frank Tieri’s take on a city gone bad echoes familiar works from creators such as Frank Miller, so fans of The Dark Knight Returns may find this first issue endearing.
Artwork and Presentation:
Love it. Inaki Miranda is in his element with a comic that’s as seedy and depressing in the daytime as it is at night. Miranda’s character designs are straight out of John Romita Jr’s playbook, in the best way possible. Plus, the unsavory scenes of drug abuse and sex acts work well because they’re presented as cold and callous displays of soulless pleasure rather than acts of titillation, heightening the depressing atmosphere of Tieri’s script.
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives:
The Positives:
Frank Tieri’s tale of a returning hero accomplishes what it sets out to do – show the weight of the world when a city, and the heroes who used to protect it, have given up hope. Tieri’s grimy depiction of Empire City makes Gotham City look like Disneyland on a rainy day. Further, Tieri crafts a solid foundation to pave the way for Crimson Justice’s return.
The Negatives:
Yes, yes. Everything about Frank Tieri’s script technically works, but the downside of this first issue is just how familiar it feels. Old heroes who’ve hung up their capes, only to return to avenge someone, are nothing new. We’ve seen it in Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, and scores of others. After the first read, Whatever Happened To The Crimson Justice #1 immediately stirred memories of a Robert McCammon short story – Night Calls the Green Falcon – without the charm and wit.
In short, Frank Tieri’s story is perfectly fine for what it is, but it feels like we’ve read it before. Time will tell if the following issues bring something new.
Final Thoughts:
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WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CRIMSON JUSTICE #1 brings readers to Empire City, where vigilante heroes disappeared years ago, but a new murder brings one of them out of retirement. Frank Tieri’s script paints a vivid tale of a city without hope, and Inaki Miranda’s art echoes character designs from the greats, like John Romita Jr. That said, the story feels a lot like stories we’ve already read before, such as Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns, so the intrigue is lacking.
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