Alan Davis' original ClanDestine series was a cult success back in the mid-nineties.  In a period when superhero comics were, shall we say, a bit light on traditional craftsmanship, it harked back to the values of solid storytelling. 

It was a story about a family of immortal superhumans, told largely from the perspective of their youngest members, two kids who have just discovered their powers and have hopelessly naive ideas about becoming superheroes.  The rest of the family, who had been jealously guarding their secrecy for all these decades, weren't so sure about that idea.

With a strong premise, and Alan Davis' ability to bring characters to life, it was a cut above Marvel's typical output of the period.  Naturally, it was precisely the sort of comic that some fans wanted to read.

It wasn't, however, an enormous commercial success.  And after Alan Davis left the series, there was a precipitate and embarrassing decline in quality as journeymen creators did their best for the remaining few issues.  To be honest, those issues weren't quite as bad as some people would have you believe.  They were mediocre rather than appalling.  But they weren't Alan Davis, that's for sure.

Now, Davis is taking another crack at them.  I don't see it being a hit - it's a revival of a fairly obscure comic from a decade ago, and Davis hasn't been especially prominent in the last few years.  But it's always good to see Davis working on something that really engages his interest.

Frankly, I don't get the impression that Davis really expects to reach a new audience with this series either.  Although much of the first issue is set-up, it's more of a gentle reminder for people who already know the characters, rather than an attempt to introduce them to a new audience.   For example, there are plenty of references to the death of Vincent, a concept from the first series which is apparently terribly important to several of the characters, but not important enough to actually explain. 

So this is a strange introduction.  It's not a terribly good starting point for new readers, but neither does it launch straight into a new story.  It could probably have stood to be a little more explicit in spelling out the set-up.  As it is, we have an entire issue based on Rory and Pandora still wanting to be superheroes - or rather, Rory still wanting to be a superhero and Pandora being dragged along in his wake - and the adults squabbling about how to deal with it.  Meanwhile, a villain hangs around in the background.

Even so, for those of us who do know the characters, this is a very pleasant reintroduction.  Davis' stories are simply charming, and his characters are strong enough that he could fill an issue with them arguing over breakfast and get away with it.  The story might well have enough appeal to overcome the "What the heck are they talking about?" factor for newcomers, in fact.

While many creators aim to be down to earth, if not outright "gritty", Davis is the exact opposite.  His art is glossy, his characters are beautiful, his hairstyles have not changed since the mid-1980s.  The Destine family are the superheroes of the Home Counties, and Rory's school is a wildly anachronistic throwback to the days when kids were depicted calling one another "dopey."  In many hands, this could seem painfully out of date. 

But Alan Davis is different.  He gets away with it, and instead of seeming naive, his world seems like a bucolic fantasy.  It's just so bright, and cuddly, full of character and gentle humour.   An Alan Davis comic is a happy place, and makes you grateful that he's still around.

It's perhaps not the best introduction to the series, in that it falls between too much exposition for the old readers and not enough for the new ones.  But it's still a pleasure to read. 

Rating: A-

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