Truthfully, I'm kind of tired of the "heroes with feet of clay" stories, epitomized by things like New Avengers and Identity Crisis. And yet... Battle Hymn applies this same, more realistic, more cynical approach to superheroes, set against the backdrop of World War II (traditionally the home of the goofiest Golden Age tales) and I think it works. Perhaps it's because after seeing things like Band of Brothers, I've come to expect a little more reality and cynicism to infect the view of World War II, and I prefer to see that the heroes of that era were all too human and flawed and succeeded despite those flaws, making them all the more heroic. Perhaps it's because Moore's writing presents these flawed characters not really in a tragic way but in one that's a little more fun. Perhaps it's that the artwork by Haun, Parks and Bryant is so exceptional, reminiscent of the work of both Tony Harris and Michael Gaydos. Whatever it is, Battle Hymn #1 is a damn good first issue, and recommended reading for those who like the Golden Age legacy tales of JSA or the realistic superheroes of Supreme Power, but even moreso for those who liked the gritty pre-war stories of Sandman Mystery Theatre.
The story in issue one is very much a gathering of the team issue, the kind we've seen numerous times before, but while the structure is familiar, the character moments carry it for the most part. Moore introduces us to analogues that will be instantly recognizable to any superhero fan: The superpatriot. The aquatic man. The daredevil. The speedster. The robot. Originality of powers, or even of personalities linked to those powers, is not really the order of the day. Instead, Moore just sort of heightens these personalities to a more realistic (and admittedly more cynical) degree, and in doing so, wrings some laughs out of the whole thing. It's not played as parody, but there's something hilariously funny about the Proud American (one guess who he represents) being such a sanctimonious jerk that one of the army guys hopes he suffers a plane crash. There's something charmingly Howard Hughes-ian about the skirt-chasing speedster running a rigged race.
Battle Hymn does not really feel like a superhero comic at this point, it feels much more like a war comic. The gathering of special forces personnel who have their own talents and their own quirks, and the sense that there's an important secret mission waiting for them, is the defining aspect of the story. I enjoyed seeing the way the British government gets their agent on the team just as much as I appreciated the way that the government lured the aquatic man into their clutches. The approach here is one that treats superpowers as dangerous and terrifying to governments, and while it's not the sort of thing I tend to like in the DC or Marvel universe, when applied to characters who don't have to live up to the same enduring standards, I find it to be a good way to examine the cultural archetypes without tarnishing them for future generations.
In terms of artwork, I remain pretty impressed with the work of Jeremy Haun, and have been since his black and white foray into comics Paradigm. The work here, inked by veteran inker Ande Parks and colored by unfamiliar (but talented) name Dave Bryant, reinforces the "real" vibe that Moore is doing for. There's some nice distinct work on the faces of the characters, and the reality of the setting and the wardrobe helps to heighten the sense of wonder for the superheroic elements. When the aquatic man comes out of the sea, the alien nature of his personality and powers is brought to life very clearly. The same is true of Dr. Cloud's "Atomic Man," a wonderful WWII-era interpretation of robotics that might be Haun's strongest visual.
Battle Hymn is not entirely unlike projects that we've seen before. I'm reminded of James Robinson's The Golden Age or, more recently, of the Jolley/Harris JSA: The Liberty File and related sequel. However, that is definitely not bad company to be in, and certainly there haven't been a lot of comics that examine World War II superheroics from a more realistic point-of-view. This is an enjoyable first issue with solid craft all the way. My only worry is that it shipped two months late, and Moore's other project Hawaiian Dick has shown similar schedule problems, and I worry about a loss of momentum. If Battle Hymn can ship on a more regular schedule, however, I think we can expect a great period superhero piece when all is said and done. 9/10
