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The
Pull-Box:
ShotgunReviews.com's Ongoing Comics Column
01.02.03
by Troy Brownfield
This time out, I'm
devoting the entire column to an advance look at a forthcoming
series from DC. Without exaggeration, this will be one of
the best new mainstream titles of 2003.
Touch
That Dial:
H-E-R-O
#1
Advance
Preview from DC Comics
Rating:
More info: www.dcomics.com
Street Date: February 12th
Sometimes,
the best ideas just need to sit a while. Take the JSA for
example. After a few attempts at relaunches, the 1999 ongoing
series hit the zeitgeist home run and the book took its place
as one of DC's best-sellers. So, with another swing at The
Outsiders coming up and yet another incarnation of the Teen
Titans about to arrive, it should come as no surprise that
DC is revamping another old-school favorite, Dial "H"
for Hero.
The first
"Dial H" series featured protagonist Robbie Reed
dialing H-E-R-O to become a variety of super-heroes. The second
series, which ran for a time in Adventure Comics, then as
a back-up in Superboy, showcased Chris King and Victoria Grant,
two teens with dials that became characters created by the
readers. Both had their appeals, but the root idea was just
too solid to be abandoned forever.
Enter
Will Pfeifer, writer of the notable Vertigo mini Finals,
and Kano, late of the Superman titles. The creators have taken
the original element (unlikely person gets the dial) and turned
it on its head. Blending traces of Robert Altman's "Gun",
Vertigo's own "100 Bullets", and a healthy dose
modern revisionism, H-E-R-O will surprise you. With
high-octane action and a new estimation of everyday people
in the DC Universe, this book has the early makings of a runaway
hit.
Meet Jerry.
He hates his job (working in an ice cream parlor) and he hates
his life. Like a certain reporter, he's in love with a girl
who's got it for Superman. Jerry's a regular guy stuck in
that desperate grind that is the province of the average.
The fact that he's seen Superman in person becomes the only
topic of conversation for those around him, and honestly,
Superman's very existence by comparison damages Jerry's already
precarious self-worth. The
examination of the psychological damage that living among
superpeople can cause to the everyday person isn't a topic
that DC has tackled often, and I truly enjoyed it here.
As you
might expect, the H-dial finds its way to Jerry. Taking a
chance, he tries it. The first few panels where Jerry discovers
that he can fly are simply oustanding. The broad smile that
breaks across his face as he rises above his everyday life
is magnificently done. However, things soon take a turn for
the drastically worse.
Pfeifer
and Kano hit the ground running with a solid concept and strong
execution. The particular storytelling device that drives
this first issue is nothing short of brilliant. It's my understanding
that the series will follow an anthology type format; if the
rest of this series is as fascinating as the first issue,
readers can expect A RIDE. Pfeifer's timing and dialogue are
impeccable, working in terrific counterpoint with Kano's rainswept
tableaus. H-E-R-O just might be the first big find
of 2003.
The first
issue hits shelves on February 12th. Buy it before everyone
tells you what you've missed.
Troy Brownfield is the Editor-in-Chief of Shotgun Reviews.
Dial him up here.
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