Two-in-One: Foot Soldiers Volume One Welcome to AIT/PlanetLar week here at The Fourth Rail, as both Two-in-One reviews this week will focus on recent projects from the San Francisco-based publishing house. This time out, Don and Randy take a look at earlier work from Jim "Earth/Universe X" Krueger and Mike "Powers" Oeming with The Foot Soldiers Volume One trade paperback. Don: I remember seeing the original Foot Soldiers single issues from Dark Horse Comics on the shelves of my local comic shop. I also remember my one-word reaction: "lame." How wrong I was. He combines the innocence of youth and Silver Age super-heroics with the darkness of a dystopian future with seeming ease. Randy: I have to admit, I haven't been a big fan of a lot of Krueger's work in the past, and so I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. However, it seems clear to me that while his work on Marvel properties doesn't click with me, the original ideas that Krueger has rattling around in his head are pretty interesting. His Alphabet Supes and Flyboys comics were interesting takes on the super-hero concepts, and The Foot Soldiers is an interesting and original take as well. The Foot Soldiers Volume One published by AIT/PlanetLar written by Jim Krueger illustrated by Mike Oeming & Jason Martin letters by Sean Konot Randy: The Foot Soldiers is a post-apocalyptic super-hero story, what you might get if you threw the Teen Titans into the world of the Terminator. The elements of the book are recognizable, but Krueger has drawn from so many influences that he has come up with something original, and more importantly, something that has a heart and soul to its concept. The book is about the nature of heroism and the idea of hope rising from utter despair, and his various protagonists are fascinating characters, all very different in their personalities. Don: Jack Kirby would have been proud. Johnny Stomp and the Second-Story Kid both boast powers/equipment that's clearly Kirbyian in inspiration. Somehow, though, Krueger's concepts don't come off as corny or as silly as, say, some of Kirby's Fourth World concepts. The darkness of the world in which the Foot Soldiers live and the foreboding atmosphere of the art conceal the inherent goofiness of the boots. Randy: Though the narration in Earth/Universe X has been driving me nuts, seeming obtrusive, I enjoyed seeing Story play the role of the narrator for this book. His often flowery prose really sets the stage for the story and serves the dual role of getting us inside his head, so that we really get to know him and see the inner conflicts he has. He is also arguably the most perceptive of the group, and so through his eyes we get to know Flower, Johnny and Rags equally well, with help from the occasional script excerpt on the text pages. I'm not sure how these stories were originally published, but the text pages between each chapters do a terrific job of recap and teasing for the story to come, and they help to set the atmosphere for the book. Don: Story's narration makes it clear that of the three Foot Soldiers, he's the intellectual one. He's able to read, unlike most of the characters in the book. In fact, it's clear that Story, Rags and Johnny represent three different aspects of humanity. Johnny Stomp is clearly symbolic of the physical being, Story of the mind and Rags is the spiritual one. They represent a trinity of self. Randy: It feels like we're only reading the tip of the iceberg in this story, and I have to admit that if the characters weren't so incredibly interesting, I might be complaining about the pacing. Krueger establishes the setting, characters and premise very well in the first issue or two, but then spends another couple of issues on hammering home the notions of another enemy lurking somewhere and the resurrection of hope that the team represents. I was champing at the bit to find out more about the mysterious Mr. Lion and the B.T.L. rather than seeing the team once again battle several of the Beetles. But since so much of the story is also going into building the relationship between the Foot Soldiers and establishing Flower and Charlie, I didn't mind too much. Don: Speaking of Flower and Charlie, Krueger really caught my attention with them. Flower's confusion, guilt and yearning for redemption came shining through, and he made me believe in the connection between her and Story. As for Charlie, the walking wall... well, he was just damn cool. Randy: The artwork on the book is by Mike Avon Oeming, who is a terrific artist but who really looks better in color. His work here is rougher and more textured than the clean "animated" style he's using on Powers, and that is definitely appropriate to the mood of the book. While I could wish for more detail on some of the scenes, such as the heroes' graveyard or some of Johnny's more flamboyant escapades against the B.T.L., in general his work here is solid, and a good indication of the expert talent he has become. Don: As noted earlier in the review, this is earlier work from Oeming, and it shows. It's not weak, just different from what we're seeing now in Powers and Hammer of the Gods. His style has definitely developed; I'd guess he's decided that less is more, as there's a stronger level of detail here. I see hints of influences like Tony Harris and Kelley Jones as well. Most importantly, Oeming conveys the characters' emotions and personalities quite adeptly. Randy: When I think of AIT/PlanetLar, I generally don't think of super-heroes. But this story is more than super-heroes, it's a high adventure/science-fiction tale that is full of originality and a sense of wonder, and in that regard it fits in just fine with what I've come to expect from Planet Lar. Stop by The Fourth Rail on Friday for a Two-in-One review of another AIT/PlanetLar trade paperback: Sky Ape Email Randy and Don comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.