On the surface, Tech Jacket is a traditional super-hero story, but closer examination makes it clear that it draws from so many more influences. In addition to elements reminscent of DC's Silver Age Green Lantern and Marvel's original Spider-Man stories, the super-hero elements are mixed with some strong manga influences, not the least of which is detailed techno-organic plot elements. There's also a crime genre element or two, and a more modern, unconventional resolution to the title character's personal problems. Overall, though, this is just a fun read and a great title with which to introduce new readers to the world of comics.
An alien race called the Geldarians are at war with the Kresh, and a conflict forces a Geldarian ship to crash-land on Earth. And in Average Town America, a teenager named Zack Thompson happens upon the wreckage, where he discovers something amazing. It's called a Tech Jacket, and it grants him incredible power... and the means to put an end to a galactic war. Meanwhile, trouble brews at home as well, as Zack's father, a hardware store owner, has some trouble with some local mobsters with an interest in his business.
In the original issues, Su's artwork struck me as a cross between traditional manga visuals and Scott (The Flash) Kolins's more stark, detailed style. But here, the colors have been removed, and the end result is artwork that really shows off its Japanese influence. There's still a clear nod to traditional, American super-hero storytelling as well, but it's the manga stuff that really make the book pop. I'm pleased to see that Su manages to capture youth quite well; Zack and the other teens don't just look like slightly shorter adults. There's an innocence to them as well.
Kirkman's story is a fairly formulaic one... at first. Tech Jacket falls into the archetypical super-hero origin elements pretty neatly; it's like Peter Parker meets Hal Jordan. In my review of the first issue, I noted that the book, though not entirely original, still offered an entertaining read. It turns out, though, that Kirkman did have something new to offer. The closing chapters here depict Zack desperately searching for his parents. Kirkman has me genuinely keen on learning their fate, grisly or otherwise, and the truth wasn't what I expected... but it made a lot of sense.
Image has wisely transformed the collected edition of this personality-filled property into something that should catch the eye of manga fans, especially in big-box bookstores. With the colors removed (replaced with some sharp grey tones, courtesy of Su), the black-and-white artwork, smaller format and Su's manga-influenced style should enable the publisher to broaden its audience for this fun super-hero book.
Note: Some of the comments in this review were reproduced from a previous feature on the website.
