DC Comics resurrects its Manhunter trademark for a new series, and I'm pleased to find the title character this time around is a woman. Marc Andreyko's script brings an edgy quality to a world in which mutants and madman run about unrestrained by regular society, and the art reflects that darker, uglier side of the super-hero genre. There's just one problem: at this early juncture, there's little to set this new costumed hero apart from the thousands that came before. The premise as it stands now is completely generic. I expect once we learn more about the title character, she'll stand out more. But this wasn't the strong debut issue I expected to read.
The serpentine super-villain known as Copperhead is standing trial in Los Angeles on multiple counts of murder. Apparently, his tangles with super-heroes and thieving ways weren't doing it for him anymore; his animalistic side took over and he began killing regular people for thrills and food. A gullible jury puts the public back in harm's way, and the district attorney who tried to prosecute the case finally opts to exact a different kind of justice.
Saiz and Palmiotti bring a realistic and dark look to the book. One of the most striking things about this comic book is that for a super-hero title, it is actually quite graphic when it comes to violence. The action and the consequences of superhumans using their inhuman powers are bloody and ugly. The Manhunter design this time around isn't doing much for me, though. Furthermore, the splash page at the end of the book could have been much clearer in terms of the result of the confrontation between the heroine and the villain. According to the "Next Month in..." blurb in the back of the book, it's quite important and would serve to set this character apart from the usual costumed crusaders of the DC Universe.
The writer grabbed my attention with his description of the super-villain as a serial killer. Copperhead's gruesome crimes make it easy for the reader to relate to the protagonist's rage. The courtroom drama is interesting, but Andreyko's legalese dialogue could use a little work. For example, there's a reference to a verdict of death. Verdicts are guilty and not guilty. Death is a sentence that's decided upon after a guilty verdict comes back.
Andreyko's biggest mistake in this first issue is holding too much back from the reader. The main character's full name isn't even revealed, as far as I was able to tell from multiple re-reads. Andreyko needs to tell the reader more (such as the real significance of the final page) so as to set the heroine apart from the typical super-hero. At this point, she seems like nothing more than a Daredevil clone... someone who's trying to see justice done by working within the system and outside of it.
