4 out of 5

As this was written as part of some larger scale events going on in the DC Universe, it doesn’t quite stand on its own as a one-shot.  The ‘Helmet’ one-shots were part of (I think) 52 collateral and the starting of a new age of magic, with the titular helmet adrift, pinging between several potential new owners (and their respective one-shots, which Gerber summarizes here) before shooting into what was intended to be a Fate ongoing by Gerber, advertised in the back of this issue.  However, that turned into a limited series – ‘Countdown to Mystery’ – and into the last thing on which Gerber worked.  Steve was playing with some interesting psychological concepts in the few issues of ‘Countdown’ we got, and he has some space here to toy with religion and politics… and it’s amazingly respectful and yet honest coming from someone so seemingly cynical toward and critical of structures.

Zauriel is tasked (by ‘the presence’ via the angel Malachy) with traveling to a planet where human life has grown intertwined with that of the flora in order to stop the fungi-like Okeontis from using the helmet’s powers to overtake the ‘tyrant Queen’ Hyathis.  Sprinkled into this tasking and the ensuing battle, Gerber questions the angel’s involvement, as well as the wisdom of replacing one ruling power for another, with the wonderfully flat response that since magic is involved, it’s priority, and yet the acknowledgement that “Ordinarily, heaven looks favorably upon the establishment of democracy, everywhere except in heaven.”  Our intro to this event is a wonderfully brave foray into questioning how angels and heaven really work: Zauriel is speaking to a grade-school Bible class, and the forum is open for questions.  And it’s tough to answer questions like “Is it just for Earth people, or will Superman go there if he dies again?”  So: saved by the angel-tasking.

Now all of this moves along at a remarkably crisp pace, Peter Snejbjerg’s amazingly reserved and clean art-style the perfect blend of simplicity and shadowing to allow the super-real world of comics (and the planet Alstair) to spring from the page without distracting with showiness, lettere Phil Balsman doing an amazing job of placement to keep Gerb’s script in perfect sync with the eye’s travels around the page.  So it’s a very solid read, even if, overall, the book feels rather inconsequential (as part of a larger story, and as something of a lead-in to the aborted ‘Fate’.).  The reason I kick it up that extra star is because it’s an awesome accomplishment how compact it is.  This is prime story-telling.  Gerber manages commentary, flashback, action sequence and resolution within a standard-sized book without it ever seeming ‘compressed’ or rushed.  I suspect Steve carefully picked over his tone to match Zauriel’s – an angel willing to question his own place in the grand scheme – and it resulted in dialogue and a story that absolutely serves the books needs, no more, no less.

You aren’t missing anything, exactly, by not having this in your collection.  However, its such a grand example of the art-form, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick it up if you find it in a bin and are wanting for more to add to your reading pile.