TPB winners 02

Metamorpho Year One

Art by Dan Jurgens and Mike Norton

Story by Dan Jurgens

Metamorpho is one of my favorite DC heroes. He has the power to transmute any of the elements in his body into any other element. A pretty versitle power that over the years he has used to very interesting results.This is a trade paperback of the 2007,2008 mini series. It lasted 6 issues. The story is an updating of Metamorpho's origin,mainly to bring it into the modern age. Rex Morgan is a treasure hunter with his own reality show. The show is a huge hit and he decides to go out and try to find the legendary Orb of Ra. Rex's show is funded by Simon Stagg,a kinda evil billionare. Rex is in love with Simon's daughter Sapphire Stagg. And he figures with the ratings boost from when he finds the Orb will give him enough money to finally ask Sapphire to marry him. So Rex is off to find the Orb and along for the ride is Java,a prehistoric ape/man that works for Simon Stagg. Java double crosses Rex and leaves him to die inside a booby trapped pyramid. But Rex finds the Orb of Ra and is transformed into the chalky white skinned orange and purple clad Metamorpho the Element Man. Using he newly aquired powers,Rex escapes the pyramid and goes to get his revenge on Java and Simon. But outta his love for Sapphire he decides to let bygones by bygones and starts having adventures.The last few issues in this trade are all about the JLA confronting Metamorpho,mainly as a test to see if he is JLA material. Turns out he is,but Rex turns down the offer of membership. So ends Metamorpho Year One. The artwork by both Dan Jurgens and Mike Norton is very appealing. I prefer Mike Norton's art on this title to Dan's,but still both are very capable artists. One last thing about this trade I have to mention is,I got this trade in a kinda blind lot. IE I had no idea what I was getting in,but turns out it was worth way more than I paid. So not only was a surprised by a trade paperback that I was planning on buying,but it is also autographed by Mike Norton. Metamorpho Year One earns a solid A.