The New Frontier - DC Comics at Its Finest

On the retro masterpiece, "DC: The New Frontier" by writer and artist Darwyn Cooke.

Music:

"That Dream Again" by Vanilla
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"Vampires" by The Midnight
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[UltimateKyuubiFox]

Imagine a DC cinematic universe that starts with The New Frontier and ends with Kingdom Come? On a massive, decade-spanning, multi-movie scale? Man, what a dream.

[SilverScarletSpider]

Watching Wonder Woman stand up to Superman, seeing Batman shudder in shame for accidentally scaring innocent children, hearing Superman stand up for the rights of Martian Manhunter, watching the Flash be falsely accused of communism and hunted like a pig; moments like these are what made both the comic and animated film timeless and legendary.

[BlueScarabGuy]

New Frontier really is a masterpiece, for all the reasons you've just described. I adore Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, and all the rest of the great gritty deconstructions, but the fact that Cooke was able to still address on a realistic, resonant level the same sociopolitical issues as those comics, while still maintaining the spirit of hope and optimism that defines the genre, is nothing short of genius. Really wish I would have known of his work prior to his death.

[jaredgarcia]

In my opinion, next to the DCAU, The New Frontier shows what DC Comics really is

[mobsta]

for me, the new frontier is start of the DC Universe and Final Crisis is the end of it

[Me-wxmt]

the fact that Darwyn was able to make something so relevant even today, something so realistic yet still retaining the charm and camp of silver age comics, while also breaking down these beloved characters and setting it all during a 1950s-60s time period is honestly amazing. There are times when heroes that you know and love feel wrong, but you later learn their motivations and/or reasoning.
For example, batman and wonder woman. When you see batman threatening J'onn, you feel scared for who has essentially been the main character up until this point. But you see how paranoid and prepared batman is. he tries to save a child from a cult, but the child is scared of him. he changes his costume and takes robin under his wing. Superman is confused as to why wonder woman would let hundreds of men die, and then we learn that these men had taken an entire village of women hostage and... yeah. Wonder woman freed the women and gave them justice. This story understands every character it includes, which is to say, it has *a lot* of characters

[OwenLikesComics]

The New Frontier is one of my favourite comics, and Cooke's artwork in that book is nothing short of amazing. Great video!

[Kng]

I like how this book is a giant middle finger to Garth Ennis's "The Boys" in a sense.

[iananderson]

With the focus on Hal, J'onn and Barry, I always felt that it was a transition from the golden age to the silver one.

[kieranholmes]

Honestly I love the idea of New Frontier and watchmen being like two sides of the same coin, they both aim to comment on society and the idea of superheroes but they both come to different conclusions (hopeful and cynical)

[ivangomez]

Years ago, I made a conference in college about this cómic book and analyzed the ideology of the Cold War. This has become my favorite cómic book.

[janicegustafson]

The New Frontier closes with Kennedy's speech accepting the 1960 Democratic Presidential nomination, in LA (hinted at by the line about "facing west" which accompanies the full-page drawing of Superman and Jonn Jones, who oddly enough, are facing EAST from Cape Canaveral), not the inaugural address, which was given on Jan. 20, 1961.The 1960 speech was called "The New Frontier Speech." Oddly, it's considered one of JFK's more "meh" speeches, particularly compared to the inaugural. I remember seeing the latter on TV with my Mom. She cried.

[alexisburns]

cooks art style SCREAMS CLASSIC, to me at least

[armandotorres]

I wonder if Matt reads any of the recent comments here. Just wanted to say the background song, That Dream Again, is etched into my brain.

[freddynunez]

Darwyn Cooke is the kind of once in a generation talent I would read about in Wizard Magazine. Always written in a past tense because he was from a generation before my own; only I lived through his prime and enjoyed his work in his life time.
I adore The New Frontier, Cooke manages to create something original and dang beautiful in that story. His art made me want to learn to be a cartoonist. He was the kind of artist that helped to make that word acceptable. If anyone puts you down for wanting to be a cartoonist you show them Darwyn Cooke and they will be left speechless by his talent.
This video is awesome.

[Toinfinitynbeyond]

the new frontier is in my opinion the best dc comic ever and its my favorite cause i love the art style of darwyn cooke. if he had made a marvel version of the new frontier i would buy it to go along my darwyn cooke collection

[dmore]

Ahhh, DC: The New Frontier, or as I like to refer to it - Better Than Watchmen

[vincentfranklin]

The great animated film, Justice League: The New Frontier, makes me want to read this.

[adammyers]

I believe there is very much a place for stories like Watchmen, The Boys, and Zack Snyder’s DC films—but only if we ALSO have these kinds of heroes. The idealists. The ones who, even if we can’t ever be as pure as them, we want to follow the example of. If we don’t have the hope to counteract the cynicism, we become lost. Cynicism tells how things are, but hope shows us what they could be. And I don’t mean that these heroes shouldn’t be flawed—it’s important that we see ourselves in them. But we need examples to inspire us to get out of bed each day and do our best. One reason I loved WW84—despite everything—is that she represented the spirit of the Reeve-era superhero. And I needed that. So by all means, let’s have more superhero deconstructionist stories. It’s good to question them. But we need people who, unrealistic or no, don’t kill. People who somehow find a way to be heroes without corrupting their soul. No matter whether that’s “realistic” or not, that idealism is important to hold on to.

[harsyakiarraathallah]

the New Frontiers and Marvels are Peak Nostalgic Super Hero Myhtos of Storytelling!