I’m still not sold on Nuclear Wonder Twins and Hulk on Fire. But I love the backstory with Martin. It’s a perfect modern-day echo of what Martin tried to do in the 1980s. It’s also an interestingly debatable premise. Does the theory of mutually assured destruction really work as a deterrent? Or is it just crazy? Is Prof. Stein’s idea even crazier given that his premise is to *personify* each country’s nuclear arsenal?

I like the ideas behind the book. I just don’t care for what’s in the center, particularly. I’m still hoping the current premise of the main two Firestorms is temporary. The problem for me is that Firestorm the original, as Conway and Milgrom created, was fresh, original and unique. With this, I just see a pastiche of other comics. Hulk, but on fire. And Jason and Ronnie even have to get mad to summon him. Mr. Raymond, don’t get me angry. You wouldn’t like me….

One wants to solve problems by thinking, the other wants to solve problems with violence. That’s Hawk and Dove. And, of course, having to be together and say the word “Firestorm”— if your entire point is that this is the much hipper, much super-cooler modern-day Firestorm, then why are you borrowing a transmutation protocol from 1970s kids’ cartoon characters like the Wonder Twins?

I’m really looking forward to the next Fire and Water podcast and hearing what Rob and Shag have to say. One wonders how they would get on if they had been at ground zero of an unleashed Firestorm protocol….