Written by Mark Waid
Illustrated by Chad HardinSTAN’S BACK! THE PUBLISHING EVENT OF THE YEAR! Stan Lee, the most colossal force in the history of comics, teams up with BOOM! Studios to deliver a brand new line of superhero comics! The great innovator of our industry brings his inimitable talents back to the direct market in an explosive line of comics that nobody is prepared for! In this second ongoing series, THE TRAVELER, Stan teams up with critically acclaimed writer Mark Waid (IRREDEEMABLE, KINGDOM COME) and fan-favorite artist Chad Hardin (AGE OF HEROES, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) to bring you a man out of time! The mysterious hero known only as the Traveler battles the forces of evil in a time-bending thriller that finds all of history and the future hanging in the balance! Rewrite history this November with Stan Lee and BOOM! Studios. Featuring covers by fan-favorite artists Scott Clark (LEGION OF SUPERHEROES), Chad Hardin (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN), and Joe Benitez (SUPERMAN/BATMAN).
Soldier Zero marked the first of MC’s new battle style reviews. We thought it was only appropriate to continue the tradition with the next in BOOM! Studio’s Stan Lee books. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a text version of Multiversity’s Spoiler Alert as Matt and Mocle discuss the ups and downs of The Traveler.
Matthew Meylikhov: In lieu of doing our usual audio podcast, welcome to a print edition of Spoiler Alert with Matt and Mocle! Who says print is dead, eh? And unlike most episodes, today we have a singular focus: Mark Waid and BOOM! Studios brand new comic book – THE TRAVELER! So let’s start this off with a soft ball question. Mocle, how did you like the comic?
Joshua Mocle: Well, if there’s one corner of science fiction that I cherish the most, its time travel and this issue definitely took a somewhat basic idea from that classic trope and began to weave an interesting narrative with it. I dare say I liked it a lot, actually!
MM: You DARE say?
JM: Yea verily, I dareth! I also know you didn’t like it that much, and since you’re leading that makes mine the underdog opinion. And I’ve always been a fan of scrappy underdogs.
MM: Yes, it is true. I actually was not that much of a fun. I love time travel, I love science fiction in general, but I’m not going to lie – the issue as a whole didn’t grab me.
JM: Well, the first issue of Soldier Zero was also pretty exposition heavy and the second issue delivered a lot more than the first, so maybe we can expect the same here?
MM: It’s possible… but the difference with Soldier Zero and this is that I really liked the premise of Soldier Zero. It had that sort of patented Stan Lee super hero vibe, a very classic origin in every manner of speaking. With this… well, I’m not really feeling the Stan Lee very much.
JM: True, Cornell did seem to make more of an effort to mimic Stan’s pacing more than Waid. Frankly, this read much more like a Mark Waid character than a Stan Lee character…which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
MM: No, but doesn’t it … defeat the “purpose”?
JM: a little I suppose, but I’m unsure that stops it from being a good read. After all, for any new writer to be successful on a character, they do have to adapt it to their own writing style. I’m sure even Stan would agree with that.
MM: Oh, no doubt. I’m not asking for a carbon copy of Stan’s work, but I just feel a lack of his hand here, and that takes a bit away for me. Another thing of note is that I’m not sure what makes this story “special.” Here’s a doozy of a question for you, Mocle: In a world of superhero ongoings and fluctuating prices, I am just a fan who wants to make sure that I am reading the books that really get me excited, and hold off from other books that feel a bit more superfluous. So where does the Traveler fit in that idea for you?
Continued belowJM: Wow, that is a doozy. Well, to be perfectly Frank, I’m a fan of the whole concept and pedigree of the people involved a lot. For instance, I wasn’t that into the idea of Starborn at first and now I have it pre-ordered because of the obvious time and care invested into Soldier Zero and The Traveler. On top of that, a truly NEW super hero book on the market today is about as rare as an orthodox Jew at a bacon convention, so I’m willing to give all of these characters an arc based on that alone. Simply put, I don’t REALLY invest in a comic until it can consistently entertain me for around ten issues or so, and whether these will do that remains to be seen, but its a shot I’m willing to take.
MM: You see the Traveler as an entirely new superhero? He seems to me to be an amalgamation of several ideas.
JM: Well, EVERY character is an amalgamation of what came before at this point. Given that as an inevitability, it becomes what is done WITH the character that gives it its unique nature, and I’m not sure we’ve seen any wisecracking, possibly deformed/amnesiac time manipulators as far as my memory goes.
MM: I can think of at least one comic about someone who moves through time with mildly sarcastic comments and a strange connection to the time stream… but I’ll leave it be. So where does this book fit in in comparison with other books Waid is writing right now? Quality wise, I mean.
JM: Yes, I was taking Booster Gold into account when I said that. Similar, but different. And this would be the point 
where I have to admit that I’ve fallen regrettably behind with both Irredeemable and Incorruptible and that the latest Waid writing to really floor me other than those two books was his Strange mini over at Marvel. When compared to THAT book, I’d say Strange comes out ahead a little bit, if only because it required much less exposition and backstory development, thereby allowing Waid to dive right in. If anything, all the introductions really dragged this issue down. Also, Strange had better art.
MM: There really wasn’t THAT much introduction about the Traveler. It kind of just threw you in the thick of it. I actually liked that element a lot, to be honest. I don’t think a story needs to spend all the time in the world explaining everything, and the Traveler does leave a fair bit of mystery open. When looking at this next to Irredeemable and Incorruptible, I’d say that it’s better than Incorruptible and not as good as Irredeemable. You didn’t like Chad Hardin’s art?
JM: I did, but its no Mark Brooks! It definitely falls into the category of comic art that does its job and does it well, but doesn’t exactly stand out because of it, if that makes sense?
MM: I suppose. I thought the art was really eye catching. Hardin has a really powerful style for the muscle-sect of superheroics. I think he fits this story rather well, and he manages to very cleanly convey all the intricacies of Kronus’ time powers. I loved how it was shown how Kronus dodges punches and pops out of bank clocks
JM: I don’t disagree, I also like the way he handles the various power signatures in play. There’s also something to be said for drawing villains that look genuinely VILLAINOUS (ALA the second split second man.)
MM: As far as I can see, there is only one other angle to compare this to: Soldier Zero. When putting up The Traveler #1 against Soldier Zero #1 (and only #1), what are your thoughts?
JM: I kinda like The Traveller more, to be honest, if only because I’m more a fan of wisecracking mystery men than alien symbiotes. Both issues were kinda top heavy with some good action and intrigue thrown in. Whereas Soldier Zero left us wondering what the nature of his powers were and exactly what he could do, with The Traveller we get the full explanation of his power and a few examples of its usefulness right off the bat and its his identity and connection to the current timeline that fills the mystery void. When the chips are down, I usually gravitate more toward identity issues than any other convention mystery tropes.
Continued below MM: Fair enough. See, I like that mystery identity aspect as well, and the way he calls himself Kronus… the entire set up was very Who-vian (which was what I was thinking of earlier, not Booster), and a much more action packed version at that. But for me, the Stan Lee-feel, the art, the writing, and the alien symbiote of Soldier Zero really drew my attention more. The hero aspect of that book intrigues me much more, and I dare say I can actually connect to it on a more personal level 
considering I know veterans in wheelchairs. Obviously, that to me is “DMZ syndrome”, as I call it – where my exploits around the world and where I work ultimately influence my relationship with some of the books I read, causing excess love in some situations, but Soldier Zero just calls to me more. So in the beginning, when we said that I didn’t like the book – I suppose it’s not that I didn’t think it was a good comic. I did. I just… don’t really hear it calling me so much. I did like the way this and Soldier Zero connected though. I love comic integration. Gives me the feeling I should buy the Traveler if only because there will inevitably be a crossover at some point!
JM: Hahaha! Well, in this industry, especially when books launch as linked together as these did, a crossover (or at least a team-up) is pretty inevitable. Can’t wait to see how Starborn factors into all this!
MM: Oh geez. And I’m desperately trying NOT to buy too many new comics!
JM: Those comic pushers know no decency, my friend. They care not for us little people!
MM: So – Final Verdict, sir?
JM: Gonna go with 8.7 on this one…a good start with a lot of room to grow.
MM: I’m going lower. 7.4 from me, I’m afraid, with a heavier emphasis on “browse first” (although usually browse comics get a lower rating from me).
