By Steve Morris

Launching at NYCC but also available now as a free digital comic, DC’s newest member of the Justice League is perhaps the best new superhero of the decade. Launched as part of a product deal with Craftsman Tools, The Craftsman is the DIY repair man for the Justice League Hall of Justice, and as such is responsible for maintaining the most sensitive equipment in the DC Universe. He’s the man who keeps the Batmobile operational, makes sure Flash’s treadmill works, and – revealing it exists as part of the New 52 – manages Wonder Woman’s Invisible Jet.

As you can see, he’s a bit of a legend, and also everything he says appears to be a crude double-entendre. But even if his DIY expertise hadn’t already got you salivating at the prospect of an ongoing series, did I mention that The Craftsman also fights super-villains? Yes! In a tie-in comic promoting Craftsman, writer Joshua Williamson teams up with Christian Duce to pits The Craftsman against The Key, of all people. And it’s probably the best Justice League story told in the New 52 so far.

Nobody loses an arm, for a start, which is a rarity nowadays. But the story – which sees The Craftsman use his handy tools to perform a variety of tasks which tricks and captures The Key – is genuinely entertaining from start to finish. Williamson is a great, fun writer, and he handles the story with a light-hearted humour. And Cyborg actually gets something to do! It’s also made clear that Wonder Woman, after witnessing The Craftsman’s nimble fingers and polished tool in action, may be reconsidering her romance with Superman. And after saving the entire world? The Craftsman shares a joke with the rest of the team, showing he’s got a sense of humour about himself. What a hero. So down-to-earth and approachable.

When will he be joining the Justice League full time, Geoff Johns? I legitimately want more of him, and I suspect the rest of the world probably agrees with me. In these uncertain times, The Craftsman is a hero who stands true, moral and strong. And he’s a whizz at sanding.

7 COMMENTS

  1. Well, it’s not as goofy as those old Hostess ads, but this Craftman shill is still rather meta. DC getting some free tools for the effort?

  2. BTW, his name is The Technician.

    That would explain the sizable booth at NYCC:
    #2046, Craftsman (right next to Marvel).

    Not too surprising… DC recently did insert comics with Subway and some reality show, Marvel had the Avengers tie-in with Farmers Insurance…

    It’s pretty smart, actually. Most fans don’t remember Harold Allnut. It’s a simple concept, makes for great commercials, and taps into the Venn diagram of comics fans and makers.

    Hmmm… that’s the Hall of Justice? I thought it was blown up real good in JLI…

    Boy… it’s pretty easy to break into the Hall of Justice… and to override the security systems! All you need is a drill!

    Looking at the Bolt-On system, I’m reminded of the KitchenAid stand mixer with the various attachments:
    http://www.shopkitchenaid.com/countertop-appliances-1/attachments-%26-accessories-2/stand-mixers-3/102020003/

    Perhaps Marvel could do a comic with Jarvis, who makes a myriad menu to satisfy the Avengers!

  3. Speaking as an actual technician, no technician worth their salt uses Craftsman tools (the box wrenches are decent, but that’s it).

    Craftsman is for weekend warriors, not professionals.

  4. So back to the comic, which thing does this retcon/contradict in the new DCU? It would be cool if you did a countdown of all the new 52 f-ups. Bleeding Cool has made several attempt but it is rather haphazard.

Comments are closed.