When Milestone Media was established in 1993, it set a new gold standard for marginalized representation in American superhero comics. DC Comics purchased the line and tried to introduce the Dakotaverse characters into the DCU with little success. This led to a reboot of the Milestone Universe in 2020, with a new limited series centered around Static, Hardware, the Blood Syndicate, Icon, and Rocket. The latest of these series, Milestone Universe: The Shadow Cabinet #1, reintroduces the first superhero team of the setting. It also acts as a catch-up issue for fans of the original Milestone Comics and new readers who missed the first few books.
An expository title page recalls the history of the Milestone Universe thus far. This allows the comic proper to get to the action and what has been happening to our principal characters since we last saw them.
In brief, Icon has been exiled from Earth, leaving Hardware to help Rocket in secret. The Blood Syndicate still controls their territory on Paris Island, and Static… well, Static is suspiciously absent. This sets up the introduction of the Shadow Cabinet, a secretive group of heroes who want to recruit Rocket.
The Shadow Cabinet #1 is a great introduction to the Milestone Universe
Despite its title, The Shadow Cabinet #1 serves as more of a primer on the Milestone Universe than an introduction to the titular team. This is a good choice on the part of writer Joseph Illidge. The odds are good that most readers coming into this issue will be unfamiliar with the setting and the characters. By centering the story around Rocket, the reader is introduced to this world and the Shadow Cabinet through her eyes.
The artwork shows equal care and craft. Darryl Banks is an established pro who is most famous for co-creating the character of Kyle Rayner. He previously worked on the new Icon and Rocket series, as well as Icon vs. Hardware. By contrast, Atagün İlhan is a relative novice whose only DC Comics work to date has been on Poison Ivy. You would never know it, however, given the skill with which the characters are handled.
Those who have enjoyed the Milestone Universe reboot to date will find The Shadow Cabinet #1 to be more of the same. Those who have not read it yet are in for a real treat. With fantastic art, a solid story, and interesting characters, this is an almost perfect first issue.
Grade: 5/5
Milestone Universe: The Shadow Cabinet #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
