John Byrne's Next Men #1

I've always been a big fan of John Byrne's writing and drawing. His creation, the Next Men return after 16 years.  
 

The Good 

I had the opportunity to read an early copy of this issue and all I can say is 'wow.' When I first looked at the cover I felt like a kid again. As if it were fate, I had been going through some of my old comics and came across my Next Men comics. That played a part in getting me ready to jump into this issue. 
 
The first couple pages could be a little confusing for new readers but that could also entice them to try to uncover what is going. Soon there is an excellent flashback summarizing what has gone on before.  
 
Reading the flashback and this issue, there felt like there were some "Inception" moments years before the movie. The story and issue have layers upon layers to it. I feel like Byrne hasn't skipped a beat since we last saw the Next Men. I know he's stated before that he does have an end in mind but I can only hope that won't be any time too soon. 
 

The Bad 

The sixteen year gap and previous 30 issues could be intimidating to new readers. The flashback in the story does a great job of catching readers up but it might not be enough for some. I really enjoyed the issue but because there had to be so much in the flashback area, I felt like there wasn't a lot of new material. 
 

The Verdict 

There might be some nostalgia factor but I loved this issue. I hadn't realized how much I missed the Next Men until reading this issue. John Byrne is back writing and drawing and you can see he's putting his heart into this. This is his creation and it's great to see him back. It may have been sixteen years since we've seen the characters but the flashback sequences provide a full recap for new readers. I will be looking forward to the next issue now that everyone is on the same page. The comic has a classic feel but that doesn't mean it feels outdated.