The Quantum Age

Man, what is it about these “Black Hammer” spinoffs?  I like the main series well enough, but the miniseries that have been spun out of it, “Sherlock Frankenstein,” “Doctor Star,” and now this, have all been disappointingly conventional.  This is even though they’ve all been written by series creator Jeff Lemire.  I think the main reason is because the main series allows him to make the main cast into actual characters who have personalities beyond their superhero inspirations.  In the case of “The Quantum Age,” it just winds up being a transparent riff on “The Legion of Super Heroes.”

They’re called the Quantum League here and originally they were the galaxy’s greatest band of heroes who were inspired by the lost protagonists of “Black Hammer.”  Then tragedy struck and the team was no more, leaving no one to oppose the galaxy’s descent into fascism overseen by the Earth Citadel. Along with imposing martial law, they’re also looking to wipe out all aliens, which is what drives a young martian to seek out the remnants of the Quantum League in the hopes that they’ll be able to turn the tide.

What follows is fairly by-the-numbers sci-fi action as neither the martian, the surviving Quantum Leaguers, nor this era’s version of Black Hammer really deviate from their expected characterizations.  They’re either bright-eyed optimists, or some variation of hard-bitten realist at their current circumstances. Don’t expect any surprises from the overall plot — save for the introduction of some characters you may have seen before.  “The Quantum Age” does boast bright, lively art from Wilfredo Torres, but it’s not on the level it needs to be to make the story engaging simply because of the art. Throw in an ending which feels like a huge cop-out in the face of what’s come before and you’ve got another “Black Hammer” spinoff that’s deeply skippable.