Given the creative styles of both Robert Kirkman (Battle Pope) and Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon), I expected a Kirkman-written take on a Larsen creation to be a whole bunch of wacky super-hero fun. The first issue of Superpatriot: America's Fighting Force is indeed fun, although the wackiness is played down more than I expected, and what we get instead is the same sort of tortured soul inside a mechanized body that has always been at the heart of the Superpatriot characterization. Artist Cory Walker provides some work that reminds me of classic Larsen, but it also has a simplicity that reminds me of Jason Pearson or Chris Sprouse, and it's a perfect fit for the book. I might have wished for an issue that gives a better introduction to the character, or one that has a little more weight to it, but for action and fun, this is a pretty good bet.
I'll be honest, a big part of what drew me back to Superpatriot is the connection the character had to Dave Johnson, who is one of my absolute favorite cover artists. I enjoyed Johnson's work on the character way back when. Kirkman and Walker capture that spirit, with some terrific acrobatics and gunplay in the opening scene and the same angular, mechanical and almost simple look to the character that should look hokey, but instead winds up looking kind of sleek and cool. Credit should also go to the colorists, particularly on their work on the flashback World War II sequences, which take on a more serious tone despite being done by the same artist.
As far as the story goes, while I expected wacky and action-packed, I was also hoping for something that wouldn't feel quite so light. Kirkman's story flies by, as Superpatriot fights some random villains, meets a girl and then has a couple of painful flashbacks. A little more insight into the character, particularly establishing more about his kids and his history, would have helped out new readers or those of us who don't remember much about the character aside from his cool visual. It also felt like the Dragon's appearance was sort of pasted in, a sort of "Hey, kids! It's the Savage Dragon!" guest appearance which wasn't quite over-the-top enough to be funny.
However, there were plenty of story elements that I really enjoyed, and I was surprised to find that Kirkman was getting inside the character's head and doing more than just action and humor. The dream sequence when his gun accidentally goes off (get your mind out of the gutter, that's not a euphemism) was pretty chilling, and throughout the story there's a sense that Johnny is still adjusting to his robotic parts. Again, not a euphemism. Mind you, there are still some elements of wackiness to be found, mostly in the villains, who have just the right air of menace and buffoonery to work.
Though the story reads fairly quickly, it is a lot of fun, and the artwork is pretty impressive. Superpatriot is not a character I would have picked as a likely comeback, but he's one of the few early Image characters that I have some affection for, and I'm curious to see where Kirkman and Walker will take him with the rest of the series.
