The Twelve A thrilling novel of tomorrow

Straczynski (The Amazing Spider-Man) begins a tale set in Berlin at the end of World War II in which 12 misfit superheroes are fighting alongside the Allies against the Nazis only to become captured and cryogenically frozen. Fast-forward to modern-day Berlin, where during building construction following German reunification the Twelve are discovered. The Twelve, awakened after 60 years, are taken in by the military, who attempt to hide the time lapse from the group in hopes of recruiting them; after all, blindly patriotic superheroes would be a valuable acquisition for the military's arsenal. Despite this, the Twelve become aware of the period change and must face the consequences six decades of lost time bring, whether it be the absence of loved family members or dramatic cultural events. Complicating matters further is a dark secret harbored by one of the Twelve that will soon lead to murder. The artwork by Weston (The Invisibles) is realistically detailed with minimal use of negative space in the panels. Verdict Straczynski resurrects Marvel history by reintroducing characters from Timely Comics, a predecessor to Marvel. The contrast among these characters from the Golden Age of comics with the modern Marvel Universe provides an entertaining story while demonstrating some of the changing values in American pop culture.-Scott Vieira, Sam Houston State Univ. Lib., Huntsville, TX (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.