There aren't a lot of comics that can proclaim something like "as mentioned in TV Guide," and even fewer can do so without boasting a Marvel or DC iconic quality. But Wildguard can, and it's easy to see why the noted television digest took notice of this book. Nauck pokes fun at the reality-TV fad in this unique comic-book project, but it's not the sole victim of his sense of humor. The super-hero genre in general falls victim to the parodies in this book. Wildguard is silly, and a good deal of fun as well.
Five hundred super-heroes (and wannabe super-heroes) gather in Servo City for a casting call for Wildguard, a new reality show that promises to whittle those signficant metahuman numbers down to five costumed champions whose lives and adventures will unfold before America's eyes. But first, it's up to the producers -- an image consultant, a former super-hero and a anonymous tycoon -- to select their cast of five. Among those vying for the spots is a stretchable super-hero with an obnoxious girlfriend and a young woman with fire powers and a proclivity for being rescued by the same savage hero, Jun-Go.
Nauck's exaggerated, light style is well suited to the goofier tone of this book. As he proved on Young Justice, he does well with comedy, and now, he proves he can do it on his own as well. The diverse array of characters is overwhelming, and Nauck is Perez-like in his efforts to jam as many colorful characters as possible into this book. The designs stem from iconic and eye-catching to ridiculous and wonderfully entertaining.
Nauck satirizes the media incredible well here, though certainly not subtly. And reality shows aren't his only target. The emptiness of the morning talk show is torn apart thanks to a biting spoof of Regis and Kelly. And comics are a medium as well, and Nauck has fun in mocking the conventions and cliches of the super-hero genre. Through those characters, he pokes fun at media stereotypes and archetypes, from Batman to blaxploitation.
One has to commend Nauck on his marketing of the book as well. He's transformed it into an interactive affair for readers via the Web, and it's a move that I'm sure those with far more resources than a lone creator envy.
Though this is a light-hearted book, it's clear that Nauck has poured a great deal of time and energy into it in order to pull it off. He doesn't just want to arrive at the final destination -- of a team of five. He really wants to capture the sense of reality TV and the overwhelming numbers of Americans desperate to grab a little bit of limelight for themselves. Though the characters are over the top, the varied motives of these characters actually ring true. Nauck points out one of America's foibles by reflecting it in a super-hero lens.
