Joe Chamberlain would do anything to save his small, forgotten town-even make a deal with the devil. But things get worse, and Joe finds himself cursed with the power of Brimstone. With the power of fire and destruction coursing through his hands, Joe must now track down and destroy the demon he made his deal with before the power he now wields destroys the town he was trying to save. But as the fiery pain inside him grows, can this young man overcome his own demons before his power rips him apart from the inside out?

The Curse of Brimstone is the latest entry into DC Comics’ “New Age of Heroes” which introduces us to new characters, new settings, and hopefully new ideas. Justin Jordan and Philip Tan are the team behind this series whose first issue is a solid set up.

In particular, the issue takes us to small town America, something we don’t see too often in comics beyond Smallville. This is the part of America left behind where factories have closed and the people struggle to make ends meat. The simplest tasks seem huge and in a world where people can fly, it’s an interesting concept that these places are forgotten. With wonders like Metropolis and Superman, what does it say for dying towns with no future? That seems to be at the heart of this series and it’s a concept that’s not explored enough in comics which makes this one stand out.

The art by Tan, colors by Rain Beredo, and lettering by Wes Abbott adds to the sense of desperation and lost. It’s one thing to tell the story in words but visually you need to see it as well and the creative team have nailed it down.

What’s presented in both story and look is small town America not many of us experience. These are the towns I see driving between DC and New York. You wonder how they function and why the people are still there and this series takes us into that in a ways. With that, we get a fresh voice and perspective to comics and one that’s hopefully explored more as the series continues.

Storytellers: Philip Tan, Justin Jordan Dialogue: Justin Jordan
Color: Rain Beredo Letterer: Wes Abbott
Cover: Philip Tan, Rain Beredo
Group Editor: Brian Cunningham Editor: Jessica Chen
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.35 Overall: Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review