Launching September 4, 2024, the four-issue Plastic Man No More! promises “hard-boiled Plastic Man noir” as part of the DC Black Label imprint. The book’s writer, Christopher Cantwell, cites David Cronenberg and body horror as influences on the story about what could happen if the character’s cellular structure started to fail. Art is by Alex Lins, with additional art by Jacob Edgar, color by Marcelo Maiolo, and lettering by Becca Carey.
An accident on a Justice League mission leads to catastrophic cellular damage for the pliable Eel O’Brian, former crook, in a tale where the character seeks to make amends for his past and save his son. Says Cantwell, “There are many superhero stories that play with the metaphor of our own inability to control our physical bodies. Plastic Man provided a way to take that allegory even deeper. How we look in the mirror and see one thing, then see a photo of ourselves and don’t recognize the person at all. How we all break down over time… When someone like Plastic Man is suddenly looking at the end of the road, and now reflecting on his legacy, he begins to wonder: was he ever taken seriously by anyone? Did he even take himself seriously?”
Cantwell, co-creator of the TV show Halt and Catch Fire, wrote Briar (see “Boom! Studios to Publish ‘Briar’”) and contributed to Batman: The Brave and the Bold (see “All New ‘Batman: The Brave and the Bold’ to Debut“). He previously worked with Lins on Hellcat (see “Cantwell Moves from ‘Iron Man’ to ‘Hellcat’”).
The first issue of Plastic Man No More! will have variant covers by Michael Allred, Chris Samnee, and Tyler Boss (1:25). Each issue will be 32 story pages, no ads, and as a Black Label comic, the series will be labeled for mature readers, ages 17+. Future issues will have variant covers by Riley Rossmo and Martin Morazzo.
Click Gallery below for preview pages and covers from Plastic Man No More!
Source: ICv2