Two-in-One Review: Shades of Blue Reviewers Randy Lander and Don MacPherson join forces once again to examine a small-press comic book that presents the adventures of a teenage super-hero. Don: Thanks for joining once again for the Two-in-One Review. And for those checking us out for the first time, this is a special review in which Randy and I tackle a comic-book title together. This time around, we're looking at a black-and-white spoof of super-hero comics called Shades of Blue. Randy: While I'm a fan of super-heroes, I'm generally happier when creators of self-published books go a different route for their work. However, Shades of Blue is a mixture of super-heroes and humor, and it definitely has some aspects that make it different from the rest of the spandex books on the rack. Shades of Blue #s 3 & 4 published by Amp Comics "Silence" parts 1 & 2 of 3 written by James M. Harris & Rachel Nacion illustrated by Cal Slayton Don: Shades of Blue tells the story of Heidi Paige, a teenage girl who woke up one day with blue hair and electrical super-powers. She reluctantly becomes something of a super-hero, at the urging of her friends. "Silence" focuses on the arrival of a new villain named -- what else -- Silence. She's posing as a substitute teacher at Heidi's high school, but her real job has something to do with preparing Heidi for a coming crisis. Heidi and her pals turn to physics teacher Mr. McMurtry for help in defeating the sound-absorbing teacher-turned-bad. Randy: Or at least, that's what it appears to be. Paige outright ignores everything that Silence tells her, and it seems like Silence may in fact be wishing to train her as a hero rather than a villain. There are definite echoes of modern-day high school dramas like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Roswell or Smallville in the work, but Harris and Nacion treat this in a much lighter vein than any of those. Don: I had the first issue of Shades of Blue lying around my apartment, but I hadn't gotten around to reading it. After finishing these two newer issues (sent to Randy and myself by the good folks at Amp Comics... always appreciated), I thumbed through the debut issue. Harris and Nacion have a rotating array of artists working on this title, and I'm pleased to see a jump in quality with the "Silence" story arc. Though Slayton's designs are a bit too simple and the characters' expressions are more-often-than-not far too over the top, his brings a polished and clear look to the story. There's a strong level of background detail, and the gray tones add depth to the black-and-white art. Randy: While I haven't read the first two issues, and thus can't compare the artwork there, I was also pleased with Slayton's artwork in general. The work is a little simple at times, as Don notes, but what the art lacks in flashiness it makes up in clarity. In addition, the simplistic expressions of the characters work for the somewhat innocent world-view that the lead character sports. Shades of Blue is inhabited by some of the most innocent and happy teenagers I've seen in a good long time. Don: Harris and Nacion are obviously spoofing super-hero comics in this series, as the characters admittedly try and live up to the cliches of the genre. The problem is that they don't aim high enough. Heidi's adventures, instead of just mocking the inherent silliness of the genre, ends up reflecting and reveling in it instead. The simple tone extends to the script as well, and it ends up making for some awkward dialogue in the process. For the most part, Heidi and her friends sound like average kids, but then the writes slip up and get a shade too flowery from time to time. Randy: I have to agree in this respect as well. Shades of Blue is, for lack of a better explanation, too nice. The battles are silly and without any consequence, either dire or more comical, and the banter between the various high schoolers doesn't ring true. Compared to the satire to be found in other efforts of this nature, whether on television or in comics, Shades of Blue lacks any kind of bite. And while I'm not one to complain about likeable characters, these teenagers seem like they dropped right out of a 1950s Archie comic. Don: The characters are likeable enough... most of the time. Heidi treats her friend Marcus horribly for no good reason in issue #3, but fortunately, that abhorrent quality fades with the next installment of the tale. Miss White, Silence's timid alter ego, is annoyingly pathetic in her first appearance, and when her evil side takes over, it's actually a relief. Despite the problems with the book, there's a great deal of potential in Shades of Blue. The property might be interest to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; there's a clear influence at play here. One could also describe the book as Smallville Lite, telling the story of a newbie super-hero without the angst. For more information on Shades of Blue, visit the Amp Comics website at www.ampcomics.com . Email Randy and Don comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.