August
14 Reviews: Herbie Archives, Supernatural Law, No Hero, War Heroes

Herbie Archives Vol. 1 (Dark Horse, $49.95) is one of those hidden gems that just kind of hits you from out of nowhere. Most fans probably know little about Herbie Popnecker, a fat kid with glasses and an affinity for lollipops who most definitely is not what he first appears to be. Appearing first in the American Comics Group's Forbidden Worlds series in 1958, Herbie not only talks to animals, but he can fly, travel through time, and is renowned by important and historic figures throughout the world and the universe. Describing these tales — written by Richard E. Hughes (as Shane O'Shea) and drawn by Ogden Whitney — hardly does them justice — they're bizarre, very funny and the sort of thing that could only have been done in comics at the time. This is a pricey, high-quality volume, though it's worth it for the chance to discover some of these near-forgotten beauties. Grade: A.

Supernatural Law #45 (Exhibit A Press, $3.50) is the kind of cross over comics need more of. In addition to the series' usual wordplay and legal humor, this issue sees Wolff and Byrd defend Troma Films' flagship character The Toxic Avenger from charges of being a monster in a trial presided over by Troma chief Lloyd S. Kaufman himself. As usual, Batton Lash puts out well-written story — With a plot! And interesting characters! And jokes! — that is perfectly matched by the artwork. But the Troma stuff makes for an especially good match, lifting this above the series usual high-water mark. Grade: A.

No Hero #0 (Avatar, $1) is a promo intro for another hard-edged, "serialised graphic novel" about superheroes from Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp, who just wrapped up Black Summer. As usual, Ellis tells a tale of tough-as-nails superheroes who have no problem taking the law into their own hands and throwing their weight around to do what they think is right. This time, a killer is after the heroes, allowing for Ryp to bring his insanely detailed style to a scene that outgrosses anything a dozen seasons of "C.S.I." could pull off. Ellis' ideas always elevate the material above what could otherwise be simple exercises in violence and gore, but there's also a feeling that if he pulled back just a bit, one of these Avatar series could cross over to a wider audience the way The Authority did way back in 1999. Grade: B+.

In War Heroes #1 (Image Comics, $2.99), "Wanted" creator Mark Millar injects superheroes into the war on terror by having the U.S. discover a way to give all its soldiers pills that endow them temporarily with superpowers. What's sure to provoke people is the politics of the comic, as the success of superpowered soldiers leads to not just success in Iraq and Afghanistan, but an invasion of Iran and characters inspired enough to espouse the kind of all-out, gee-shucks patriotism not seen since newsreels plugged War Bonds. The approach delivers its share of drama — augmented by Tony Harris' heavily photo-referenced artwork — though the first issue leaves the question up in the air of whether Millar will take this approach to an extreme or pull out the rug from under it. Grade: B.