The first issue of this run caught everyone off guard by turning Firestorm into a terrifying, “mad god” version of the character we used to know. It was a massive swing. Now, Jeff Lemire and Rafael de Latorre are using The Fury of the Firestorm #2 to pull back the curtain on the origin of the Firestorm Matrix while keeping the tension cranked to the absolute max. It’s a grounded, almost uncomfortable look at how an average kid ended up with the power to rewrite reality at a molecular level.
Title: The Fury of the Firestorm #2
Creatives: Jeff Lemire (Writer), Rafael de Latorre (Artist), Marcelo Maiolo (Colorist), Lucas Gattoni (Letterer)
Characters: Ronnie Raymond, Martin Stein, Supergirl, Hawkgirl, The Flash, Kyle Rayner, Martian Manhunter
Villain: Killer Frost, Rogue Firestorm
Format: Ongoing Series
Our Rating: 9/10 Stars
The Average Life of Ronnie Raymond
Before he was a nuclear powerhouse, Ronnie Raymond was just a “C” student at the University of Pittsburgh. He wasn’t some genius or a natural-born hero. In fact, he only became Professor Martin Stein’s assistant because he lied to get the job. Why? To get closer to a girl. It’s such a regular, relatable, and slightly lame move that it makes Ronnie feel like a real person rather than the usual superhero archetype. Lemire writes this well, showing us a kid whose mom died young and whose dad was always working late. He was average at sports, average at grades, and just trying to find a way to stand out.
Professor Martin Stein eventually saw something in him and gave him a shot. They became inseparable, but there’s a definite sense that Stein has his own secrets. The duo’s origin story definitely isn’t some shiny, accidental miracle like we’re seeing here, but that’s for a future issue to reveal. After the bomb that forced them together, we get a glimpse of their early days fighting villains like Killer Frost and others… (he doesn’t have a very big rogues gallery), with Stein feeding Ronnie the science he needed to survive. But that partnership is long gone, and the mystery of where Stein went is starting to feel a lot more sinister.
Transmutation is Actually Terrifying
People usually don’t take Firestorm too seriously because of the flaming hair and the puffy sleeves. I mean, he’s always been one of the good guys who doesn’t kill. But this book reminds you that the power to transmute matter is nightmare fuel. Super strength is one thing, but a rogue who can literally turn a human being into cheese or ash is on another level. De Latorre’s art highlights this by showing Firestorm as this incomplete, naked, crimson god. He looks dangerous because he doesn’t have the “hero” suit yet. It’s a raw, unstable design that fits the mood perfectly.
The visuals here are great too. Rafael de Latorre uses breaking panels to show how the Firestorm is falling apart. It makes the reader feel as confused and scared as Ronnie. Marcelo Maiolo’s colors ditch the bright, heroic palette for something filled with smoke, ash, and deep shadows. Even the lettering from Lucas Gattoni adds to the dread. The “evil” Firestorm has speech bubbles with dark centers, making it easy to track who’s speaking while emphasizing that this entity is something entirely different from the Ronnie/Stein combo.
The Justice League Enters the Fray
By the end of the issue, things have spiraled so far out of control that the Justice League has to step in. Seeing heavy hitters like Supergirl, Hawkgirl, the Flash, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, and Martian Manhunter show up would normally fill you with relief, but here it feels like they’re walking into a buzzsaw. Evil Firestorm wants all the smoke, and he has the power to back it up. There’s a genuine sense of danger for every character involved, which is rare for a mainstream superhero book.
Lemire is planting seeds that something is very wrong with the Matrix itself, and it’s not just about a hero having a bad day. There’s a terrifying mystery being sown here where the enemy might just be the raw power of the Firestorm entity itself, stripped of its human conscience. Truly, Lemire has successfully turned a B-list hero into the DC Universe’s biggest threat, and I’m hooked to see how the League even survives the next round.
‘The Fury of the Firestorm’ #2 Review: Is Ronnie Raymond a Hero or a Nuclear Mistake?
Lemire is planting seeds that something is very wrong with the Matrix itself, and it’s not just about a hero having a bad day. There’s a terrifying mystery being sown here where the enemy might just be the raw power of the Firestorm entity itself, stripped of its human conscience. Truly, Lemire has successfully turned a B-list hero into the DC Universe’s biggest threat, and I’m hooked to see how the League even survives the next round.
