Heroism doesn’t come cheap, so when superheroes borrow money to finance their genetic enhancements or crime-fighting supercomputers, their debts make student loans look like I.O.U.s! Enter the Paybacks, a repo squad composed of bankrupt former heroes here to foreclose on everybody’s secret lairs!

Well holy cow. This is such an outlandish concept that it really shouldn’t work. It should crash and burn faster than a jet pack made out of fireworks and tissue paper. A super powered repo squad collecting debts owed by heroes who can no afford to pay off the outlandish debt they took on in order to fight crime. It shouldn’t work. It should be consigned to the draw of ideas that just shouldn’t be.

Thankfully, it wasn’t.

Sometimes an idea that shouldn’t work is the one that takes you by the scruff of the neck and pulls you into one of the most enjoyable comics you’ll read in a long time. The Paybacks  had me grinning before the story even began; the recap page in the front of the comic throws you off edge of the slip ‘n slide into the madness of the comic.

That’s a good thing.

Almost all of us are familiar with debt and how easy it can be to dig yourself into it if you’re not careful, and since you’re reading this then you’ve probably got more than a passing familiarity with superheroes. Writers Donny Cates and Eliot Rahal, artist Geoff Shaw and colourist Lauren Affe aren’t interested in giving us an overly subtle cautionary tale of how debt influences our actions, instead preferring to hit us with an excellent first issue full of chaotic mayhem. This is a well written, extremely enjoyable comic book that also happens to be one of the most effortlessly funny comics I’ve read in a long time.

As soon as you open the cover, it’s easy to see that the creative team are enjoying what they’re doing;

Not every wannabe hero can afford a super cool suit of armor or sweet bat themed toys or invisible jets. Sometimes a superhero has to take out a LOAN to get the proverbial ball rolling. What happens when they can’t pay that loan off? Who could possibly wrestle that super stuff away from them?

Enter the Paybacks. A group of C and D list heroes who themselves have defaulted on a loan and now work to pay it off by repossessing cool hero stuff. It’s a tough job to say the least. (Psst, lots of people die horribly) It’s fun for the whole family!!

With a diverse cast and a not so subtle approach to the world of debt and superheroes, The Paybacks is an absolute blast to write and create. There’s a bubble boy! A Vampire lady! A Sasquatch! We’re having a lot of fun! And we can’t wait to share it with all of you!

There are too many things about this issue that I loved, but I don’t want to give  too much away here. If you’re looking for a comic that’s an absolute treat to read, then look no further. The first issue of The Paybacks is a joyride from start to finish that you don’t want to miss out on. This comic is a blast of fresh air in a genre that frequently takes itself too seriously, and while the chaotic violence is certainly present, it never seems over the top. Whether you ask your Local Comic Shop to hold a copy of this comic for you the next time you visit, or add it to your pull list on ComiXology, The Paybacks #1 will bring a fresh dose of fun to your comic book reading.

And there’s also a unicorn.

The Paybacks #1 is on sale September 16. Mark your calendars.

Story: Donny Cates and Eliot Rahal Artist: Geoff Shaw Colours: Lauren Affe 
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Dark Horse provided Graphic Policy a FREE copy for review.