|
HERO SQUARED #1
"The Treasure of the Mother of Mountains Part One"
|
Boom! Studios
Writers: Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Joe Abrahaham
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
Colors: Matt Nelson
Price: $3.99 US |
Back when I reviewed the Hero Squared special, I said that it wasn't so strong as a standalone, but would look stronger in retrospect if more stories were to follow. I stand by that assertion, because Hero Squared #1 is actually a very good comic, and part of that has to do with the foundation stuff being out of the way so that Giffen and DeMatteis can focus on their strengths of characterization and yes, even some superhero action. The bickering between Captain Valor, Stephie and Milo in the beginning is hugely overfilled with dialogue balloons, but the dialogue is really good, so it's hard to complain, and the Sloat/Caliginous stuff is toned down to a more manageable level, making the toady/overlord relationship more fun to read as well. In addition, while there's plenty of humor, often as a result of Valor's frustration with his alter-ego, there's also a more serious core to the story, as each version of Milo reflects on what might have been (even if the "real" Milo is doing his best to ignore his feelings) and what potential they might have squandered.
Which is not to say that Hero Squared lacks in humor. There's a particular flavor to the Giffen/DeMatteis style of humor, a flavor that draws its roots from classic setup/punchline vaudeville, but also has elements of American and British sitcoms. The exasperated yelling of Captain Valor or Milo is kind of tiresome to me, but even that has its moments, and its basis in a very real frustration that the two men have with each other (and themselves) makes it work. The dry, ironic humor present when Milo is trying to evacuate the building is probably my favorite, although I also have a soft spot for the slapstick of the falling rocks in several scenes. Basically, Hero Squared #1 has a lot of the comedic timing that Justice League International had.
Hero Squared also has something Justice League International and Defenders don't, and that's a new world to be explored. There's no doubt in my mind that part of the reason the Giffen/DeMatteis books in the past worked is because they were tweaking familiar characters, but there's a different kind of fun when they're working in their own world. I like that Milo lives in a world where Captain Valor and the people he knows are actually just comic book characters, as it's an interesting facet of their relationship. It says a lot that Milo can't fully believe in Captain Valor despite his presence in the apartment because it would really be like Superman or Batman coming to live in your house. That kind of meta storytelling is tough to pull off at DC or Marvel, but it works in a new superhero universe.
Joe Abraham once again rises to the occasion with some very detailed and expressive artwork to accompany the story, and Matt Nelson's colors are the perfect style of bright and superhero shiny to complement the story as well. There's some fantastic action storytelling in this issue when Caliginous attacks the apartment building, and a lot of the slapstick comedic timing that I mentioned can be put down to Abraham's work as well. Certainly the rock bouncing off some poor schlub's head at just the right moment, and the expression on the guy hit and the guys surrounding him, is important to the comedic moment.
The cliffhanger ending of Hero Squared #1, as well as the general tone established in the first few pages, points it up as something slightly different from previous Giffen/DeMatteis works. It isn't really a superhero sitcom, although there are both superhero and sitcom elements. No, Hero Squared is, if anything, a romantic comedy, and it's a comedy more in the vein of Sportsnight or High Fidelity, a comedy with serious character elements as its backbone. Those seeking the "Bwah-hah-ha" over the top humor will find it here, but that's not all that Hero Squared has to offer.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
