With Identity Crisis putting these writers off of the Justice League characters for the forseeable future, it was only natural that this team might try to bring their comedic superhero style to another set of characters. Later this year, those characters will be Marvel's Defenders, but in the meantime, Giffen and DeMatteis have created a new character in the comedic tradition of Formerly Known as the Justice League with Hero Squared. This is very much not Justice League with the serial numbers filed off, it's a different character and even a different theme, where the slacker superhero ethos is played as a bit more of a disappointment than just an easy gag, and while some of the gags will seem familiar, just as many of them are new. The whole thing plays out a little bit predictably for me, and doesn't have the laugh out loud moments that Justice League often did, but it's a pleasant read with a solid art performance by relative newcomer Joe Abraham.
I honestly think that part of the appeal of Justice League International was seeing these normally serious characters played out in a satirical context, and Hero Squared doesn't really have that power of juxtaposition, being something wholly created. So instead of hanging the story on funny gags, Giffen and DeMatteis had to hang it on something else, and what they choose is an exploration of the slacker ethos and paths not taken. Most of the really funny moments in this issue come from the moral paragon, Captain Valor, being frustrated with his slacker self in this world.
However, I do have to admit that the schticky humor of Giffen and DeMatteis can wear a little thin, and seem a little dated. The constant mispronunciation of Caliginous, the villain of the piece, the political references and the dialogue of Sloat, the henchman, all wear out their welcome long before the writers stop using them. Aside from the politics, the gags are also recycled to some extent from Justice League International, as Sloat and Caliginous are dead ringers, personality wise, for L-Ron and Manga Khan, but given that the gags in JLI were mostly recycled from the Marx Brothers anyway, it's hard to really accuse the writers of unoriginality now.
Usually, these guys work with artists like Kevin Maguire and Adam Hughes, but this time out, they're joined by Joe Abraham, whose previous work was the Image comic Hellhounds. His work here is pretty impressive, reminiscent of the styles of Maguire and Hughes fused with Invincible artist Ryan Ottley, and steeped in detail, especially in the shots of the city. Abraham really gives a sense of the environment, which isn't crucial in this type of story but is always appreciated. Fortunately, he's also up to what is a crucial aspect, the artistic exaggeration of facial expressions and gestures for comedic effect. I also have to spotlight the color work of Matt Nelson, which is bright and colorful without being gaudy.
As a standalone issue, honestly, Hero Squared is just OK. The surprise twist at the end is kind of predictable and not particularly stirring, and one has to wonder if the Rod Serling/Shyamalan discussion at the beginning is ironic commentary on their own ending. It's not a bad ending, it's just not great. And the interaction between hero and slacker is funny, but the story really only gets started by the end, when we've established the sitcom high concept of these two living together. As a first issue for a new series, it's promising and fun, but unfortunately, with the writers doing The Defenders and no number two of Hero Squared solicited, that looks like an unlikely proposition at this point. A shame, because a second issue coming up quickly would make the first issue stronger in retrospect. 7/10
