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Local Man #1 celebrates and continues Image’s superhero roots

Local Man #1

I remember when Image Comics launched over 30 years ago. It was a massive event and ushered in a new wave of superheroes and teams. It also ushered in some rough stories and general a line whose art trumped the stories. While it’s been decades, my memories that for a while Image was more flash than substance, cool ideas without focus beyond flashy art. Thankfully, the publisher shifted over the years and has been putting out buzz and award worthy comics regularly. Some of those look back fondly, both good and bad, at those early years of Image. Local Man #1 feels like one of those comics as well as one that deserves a lot of buzz.

Created by Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs, Local Man #1 introduces us to Jack Xaver, a former member of the superhero team Third Gen. Going by the superhero name Crossjack, Jack has washed out and is forced back home to his parents who live in the Midwest. Clearly whatever he’s done is newsworthy and his return is generally not welcomed. There’s tension with his parents, the locals, and generally Jack needs to get his act together.

Local Man #1 feels like the latest in media focusing on older men whose life hasn’t gone the way they expected. They’re sad sacks and you feel both bad for them and also want to yell at them to get their act together. But, the duo also are having a lot of fun with the comic with mentions of Brigade and Cyber Force, the comic feels like it’s plopped into the history of Image.

And history is shown. The comic features Jack’s current situation and his time with Third Gen as the comic features a mission of the team. And it’s a revealing one. We get to know the members more and maybe Jack’s not the problem? It’s also a lot of fun with riffs on a more “classic” Image superhero team, silliness and all. It’s both a spoof, homage, and love letter to what has come before.

Seeley and Fleecs trade off the art with each handling one story and are joined by Felipe Sobriero and Brad Simpson on color, Lauren Perry on flats, and lettering by Comicraft. The styles are great together with one having a more modern and the other a bit more retro feel to it all. The comic does an excellent job of focusing on Jack as his body language and expressions tell us so much. And his Third Gen team members wink and nod laughs with their powers but it’s not distracting.

Local Man #1 isn’t another dissection of the superhero nor is it just a riff on what’s come before. By the end, there’s clearly something more going on. While the comic has a foot in its past, it also feels like it’s charting it’s own future and part of the new wave of heroes coming out of Image that show you can deliver fantastic story and eye-popping visuals at the same time.

Story: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs Art: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs
Color: Felipe Sobriero, Brad Simpson Flats: Lauren Perry Letterer: Comicraft
Story: 9.0 Art: 8.6 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


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Review: Death’s Head #1

Death’s Head has been taken apart, his system is failing, and he’s been turned into an amp!? The bounty hunter is out for revenge and to find out who did it!

Story: Tini Howard
Art: Kei Zama
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Color: Felipe Sobreiro

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Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
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Review: Generation X #87

Generation_X_Vol_1_87

Where we last left our merry mutant team of young ones, Monet St. Croix had returned to the X-Mansion only for the team to discover she had merged with her demonic brother Emplate to become M-Plate and with the help of Quentin Quire, Jubilee has managed to get her original powers back to fight against the possessed Monet but will it be enough to take her down?

This week also has the final issue of another comic that feels like its run has been cut short and this time, it’s Generation X. It’s a title that had been resurrected by Christina Strain and it’s a shame because it’s a very decent book that I enjoy with fun character dynamics and of course, my bias speaks given how much I champion Jubilee to the point where I defended the book since the initial announcement when it came under the wrath of gatekeepers who decried on the basis of entitlement that it’s not the book they grew up with originally nor were they fond of the choice of characters.

The team itself is supposed to be about underdog mutants led by Jubilee, a character from the original incarnation which is the perfect pitch for the book. And Strain I feel has quite succeeded in her goal and at the very least, this issue feels like a fitting end.

For a start, Jubilee charging into battle with her firework powers back is at least glorious to behold along with her badass boast. When you get down to it, fireworks can hurt. You can’t her powers lame when fireworks can in fact hurt you if you go near one and injure yourself especially if you use fireworks improperly. So it’s nice to see Strain show that first hand even if M-Plate can shake it off.

The fight against M-Plate is an impressive one too especially with quick thinking from Bling outsmarting her and other characters managing to take her down while she was distracted especially when Emplate is finally separated from Monet.

I will say, I wish the fight went on at least a little bit longer with a few more action beats. But the rest of the issue is a solid character piece, stuff that’s finally resolved like much about Benjamin Deeds/Morph and Nathaniel Carver/Hindsight tying the knot as a couple, same with Lin Li/Nature Girl and Trevor Hawkins/Eye Boy and the aftermath of Jubilee no longer being a vampire which, I admit, I miss a lot and wish it was a best of both worlds kind of thing but hey, what can you do? At least she still has Shogo who is adorable as is the relationship between the two. It makes my heart melt, really.

And of course, Roxy Washington/Bling venturing out into the world after staying in the X-Mansion for years and now it is time for her to explore the world around her and live among humans. It’s a nice send off complete with characters giving her gifts, telling her they’ll miss her, etc. The book just leaves me wanting more because already I miss this team but I can only hope another writer will tackle Jubilee and others again someday and hopefully Marvel still has Christina Strain for other books in mind because I certainly want to see more from her.

The art by Amilcar Pinna I imagine won’t be for everyone. I admit, first time I saw the art, I didn’t know how to feel and in a way, I do feel mixed especially with some of the faces but I think overtime I’ll like it enough because the art is unlike other superhero books that it really gives it a good identity to stand out that it fits as a style especially as a compliment to Strain’s writing so it’s another case of solid writer/artist synergy. The colors by Felipe Sobriero certainly helps achieve that as well. And it helps that Pinna is also very good at staging the action scenes and the emotional moments.

The entire issue feels like Graduation Day and Strain definitely nailed that feeling.

If you’ve been enjoying this book, this issue won’t disappoint. It’s a good end to the team and I look forward to the future that will bring these characters.

 

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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