I haven't checked in on H-E-R-O in a while, but this issue's cover, featuring the H-Dial and a caveman, was certainly intriguing. Inside the issue, I found a tale that is pretty much what you'd expect given the cover, entertaining but not really surprising. What was surprising was that Kano has again modified his art style, and where he's previously had an Amerimanga look (in his Superman work) or a gritty, European-influenced style (in previous issues of H-E-R-O), this time out his work reminds me of a cross between Guy Davis and Herge. Overall, this issue is reminiscent of the infamous "monkey" issue of Powers, exploring super-heroes in prehistoric times without the benefit of much dialogue, and though it would have seemed more innovative before that Powers issue was published, it's still an entertaining read for regular H-E-R-O readers or those who have been curious but didn't want to delve into a multi-part story.
The H-Dial is little more than a McGuffin for Pfeifer's stories, so where it came from and when isn't really germane to the series. However, this issue does open up the potential for the series further, as it shows that the dial has been around for a long, long time, and it does mean that Pfeifer could explore stories of the dial throughout DC's history, as opposed to just following it through modern wielders' hands. I suspect this kind of thing was established in previous Dial H for Hero stories, but as someone who hasn't read most of those, it's nice to have it spelled out here.
Regardless of what it means for the overall fabric of the series, though, this is an interesting change of pace for a single issue anyway. There's a similar daily grind type of approach here, except that instead of modern society, Pfeifer and Kano explore how the dial could have helped with the challenges of caveman life. Not surprisingly, there's a little bit of similarity to the way it was treated in Powers, showing that super-powers basically made the possessing caveman the alpha male to end all alpha males and changed his position in the tribe considerably, making him a bit of an outsider. However, instead of introducing an adversary, Pfeifer pits his protagonist against the challenges of natural threats, whether it's physical threats like a wooly mammoth or sabretooth tigers or social threats like the fear of his tribe or the boredom that comes with having powers no one else has.
Interspersed throughout the sequences of the super-powered caveman exploring his world are sequences that show archaeologists trying to interpret his impact on the world. These sequences are a little bit too cute for my tastes, but they do provide a little more straightforward storytelling, as the story otherwise rests on Kano's shoulders pretty heavily, since Pfeifer takes a realistic, non-dialogue approach to the B.C. parts of the story.
Fortunately, Kano is more than up to the task. His art style shifts a little bit in this issue, taking on a slightly more cartoony look, and it works surprisingly well for the vivid and unusual prehistoric setting. He conveys the feelings of anger, fear, loneliness and other emotions that are central to the story, all without the help of dialogue or thought balloons. And the final image, showing the caveman's last frontier of exploration, makes a perfect capper for the story.
