Even though the field of comic books is dominated by superheroes, I have yet to write a column devoted entirely to the superfolk. Well, let's get down to it, bunky. Here are a few of the more interesting supertitles being published. Not the best, mind you, just interesting. For the best, pick up Kurt Busiek's ASTRO CITY (Homage/Image Comics)(Grade: A+). Meanwhile, here's the good, the bad and the ugly of comic book superheroes: STARMAN, THUNDERBOLTS, and HITMAN. STARMAN is highbrow; HITMAN is lowbrow; and THUNDERBOLTS would be right in the middle if not for its sinister twist.
 

STARMAN #0-37 (DC Comics)
STARMAN ANNUAL #1-2 (DC Comics)

Little boys want to grow up and do what their daddies do. For David Knight that meant becoming Starman, the resident superhero of Opal City. It meant patrolling the city, fighting crime, and righting wrongs. Unfortunately, the father's calling was the son's undoing. David Knight is shot and killed on the third page of the first issue of STARMAN. Daddy's mantle is then reluctantly assumed by David's brother, Jack. Jack doesn't want to do what his daddy did, but, thank the stars, he is good at the job regardless.

James Robinson, the writer of STARMAN, has created a literary (by this I mostly mean wordy) superhero book which not only explores the fascinating inner-workings of the protagonist and surrounds him with intriguing supporting cast, but also creates an engrossing setting for them all to operate within. (Don't let me mislead you into thinking this is too cerebral, though; every so often something blows up real good.) Jack Knight is forced by guilt to take up his role, but he quickly discovers a natural affinity for it. He refuses to patrol the city seeking out crime -- after all, what are cops for? -- but he will put himself at the disposal of the police whenever they need him. Mostly, he tries to concentrate on his nostalgia shop.

Helping to keep Jack's life interesting are the people with whom he has surrounded himself. Despite the tension between them, Jack's father, Ted Knight -- the original Starman -- provides him with technology. Jack is aided in his crimefighting by a family of cops, the O'Dares. His father's archenemy, the immortal Shade, has reformed from his life of crime and adopted Jack as his protege. Jack's own archenemy, Nash -- daughter of a supervillain known as the Mist -- has spared his life twice and offered a truce as they both perfect their abilities in preparation for a final showdown.

All these folks, and many more, come together in Opal City. Until the arrival of the Mist and his children, Opal City had been spared the ravages of crime that have struck Gotham City and Metropolis, allowing it to develop a timelessness and sense of innocence not found elsewhere. It has a weird and rich history, dominated by the presence of the Starmen who have been its protectors. As visualized by artists Tony Harris and Wade Von Grawbadger, Opal City is a stunning combination of soaring art deco skyscrapers and dank back alleys. The heavenly and the hellish are equally at home on its streets.

STARMAN is one of the more complex superhero books being published today. A careful and long-sighted plotter, Robinson is only now in issue #37 beginning to unfold events that were hinted at in the first four issues. Robinson handles the nuisance of company-wide crossover events and superstar character guest appearances adroitly, never missing a beat in his storytelling symphony.

Robinson infuses STARMAN with his great love for the past, a strong grasp on the reality of the present, and high hopes for the future. "Times Past" is a regular feature of the book, telling untold tales of the history of the supporting cast and members of the Justice Society. Robinson includes text pieces in some issues which are excerpts from the centuries-long diary of the Shade. "Talking with David" is an annual event wherein Jack spends an entire issue talking with his dead brother in a surreal dreamscape. By constantly acknowledging the past and dealing with his unresolved feelings toward his brother, Jack can discover truths which help him deal with his present and help him set ideals which will carry him into the future.

The beauty of STARMAN is in its unique tone. I have never read a comic which is sadder, more somber, or more tragic. One of my favorite recurring characters, David, is DEAD for goodness sake. The book constantly refers to tragedies which have befallen the previous five entities who have used the name of Starman (two have been aliens). Members of the Justice Society are retroactively given feet of clay. The circumstances which draw Nash deeper and deeper into villainy are downright depressing. Even longtime supervillain Solomon Grundy is cast in a new, sympathetic but pitiful light. Yet a thread of hope and light weaves through this darkness in the shape of Jack Knight. STARMAN is dark and moody, sure, but not unrelentingly so, and the victories that are won seem all the sweeter in contrast.

A superb writer with a strong vision needs artists with equally strong vision to bring his work to fruition. Robinson is fortunate to have Harris and Grawbadger rising to his challenge. They match him step for step. Robinson is fortunate enough to snare an amazing line-up of guest artists for his "Times Past" issues. The distinctive stylings of Teddy Kristiansen, John Watkiss, Craig Hamilton, Ray Snyder, and Richard Pace are a pleasure to behold.

Just as Jack Knight is constantly growing as a hero in the eyes of those around him, STARMAN continues to grow in my esteem every month. If you try this book, I bet you will become starstruck also.

_____

Grade: A-

(STARMAN #41 is solicited this month in PREVIEWS on page 87! STARMAN SECRET FILES #1 is solicited this month in PREVIEWS on page 91! STARMAN: A WICKED INCLINATION TP is solicited this month in PREVIEWS on page 101! STARMAN: SINS OF THE FATHER TP and STARMAN: NIGHT AND DAY TP are resolicited this month in PREVIEWS on page 108!)

(A very nice unofficial STARMAN page can be found at http://users.aol.com/nachro2/starhome.htm.)

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HITMAN #1-20 (DC Comics)

"Okay," Tommy Monaghan begins. "Now, we got Green Lantern backin' us up -- an' that sounds so freakin' hysterical I'm just gonna say it again, 'We got Green Lantern backin' us up' . . . An' that's fine for special effects, but I ain't puttin' my life in the hands of some Keanu-lookin' goof with a magic ring. What I want is you -- with this [gun] -- at that window -- ready to whack anyone takes a shot at me. You cool with that?" (Hitman#12, page 3).

Tommy "Hitman" Monaghan is a superhero in only the loosest sense of the word. He does have super powers and a rigid code of morals that keep him from hurting people he thinks are good. He teams up with other superheroes, such as Batman and Green Lantern, but they generally end up despising him and his methods. Monaghan kills people, you see. Before getting his powers, he was an assassin. Since getting super powers, well, he is still an assassin. Only now Monaghan specializes in assassinating other people with super powers -- but only bad people. Monaghan doesn't fight bad guys so much as he fights guys worse than he is himself. Monaghan is the epitome of the modern day superantihero.

Monaghan received his powers when he survived a bite from, um, a space vampire during an unsuccessful hit. Now Monaghan possesses telepathy and x-ray vision. Not being extremely imaginative, Monaghan has decided to stick with his original occupation, hoping only to score higher fees so he can one day move to Manhattan from Gotham City. Between hits he hangs out with his fellow hitmen in a neighborhood bar. The only thing worse than Monaghan's luck at gambling is his luck at picking contracts: they usually blow-up in his face, sometimes literally.

In "A Rage in Arkham" (HITMAN #1-3) Monaghan agrees to break into Arkham and snuff the Joker right inside his cell. Little does Monaghan realize (and who would?) that this is a set-up arranged by demons from hell called the Arkannone, the Lords of the Gun, who seek a replacement for their demonic assassin Mawzir. To really complicate matters, Batman shows up, and he's ticked off to find himself in the position of defending the Joker's life.

In "Ten Thousand Bullets" (HITMAN #4-7) Monaghan agrees to hunt down and snuff a dirty superhero named Nightfist. Little does Monaghan realize (and you'd think he would be suspicious by now) that this is a set-up arranged by Moe Dubelz, the surviving half of a Siamese twin that Monaghan killed. To really complicate matters, Dubelz hires hitman-supreme Johnny Navarone to snuff Monaghan.

In "Local Heroes" (HITMAN #9-12) Monaghan does not agree to become the sanctioned terminator for a covert government agency charged with monitoring and controlling superheroes. Little does Monaghan realize (What a moron!) that he's going to be set-up by the disgruntled agents to keep him quiet. To further complicate matters, Green Lantern is the patsy the agents dupe into bringing Monaghan down.

In "Zombie Night at the Gotham Aquarium" (HITMAN #13-14) Monaghan and his buddies shoot a bunch of zombie penguins, seals, sharks, dolphins, and an octopus. Little does Monaghan realize (why ruin a streak?) that the fella who hired him is paying less than the corporation that hired his friend. It's not too complicated really.

In "Ace of Killers" (HITMAN #15-20) Mawzir and the Arkannone return looking for revenge, cornering and trapping Monaghan, his friends, Jason Blood and Catwoman in a church. Monaghan realizes (Finally! A realization!!) their only hope of getting out of this set-up is a shaky deal with the treacherous demon, Etrigan, to obtain the demon-killing rifle known as the Ace of Winchesters. To further complicate matters, Monaghan finds himself falling in love.

The repetitious simplicity -- simple-mindedness, even -- of the plots might make one wonder how this book could succeed.

What makes HITMAN special are the creators, of course. Writer Garth Ennis and illustrator John McCrea have pulled out the stops to make HITMAN a black comedy thrill ride. To build momentum, they had Monaghan appear for a short time in their previous collaboration, THE DEMON (DC Comics). When THE DEMON wrapped up, HITMAN was ready to rumble. Ennis is infamous for his ultra-violent tales of hitmen in such series as PREACHER (Vertigo/DC Comics, grade: A+), SHADOWMAN (Acclaim Comics, grade: C+), THE DARKNESS (Top Cow/Image Comics), and UNKNOWN SOLDIER (Vertigo/DC Comics). He mixes drama, humor and violence into a volatile chili that burns the roof of your skull. The inevitable comparison: Ennis is the Quentin Tarantino of comic books. McCrea, meanwhile, has a distinctive, outrageous style that suits Ennis' scripts perfectly. With HITMAN, Ennis and McCrea have achieved a level of violence so excessive it is almost cartoonish -- if you can overlook the gore and viscera splashed across every page that is.. That this bloodfest is set smack dab in the DC Universe is the ultimate twist.

The humor in HITMAN deserves special attention. Ennis loves to throw in sick visual gags: a Siamese twin lugging around his dead twin's decaying body, a dead cat thrown on a spotlight to create a "Cat-Signal" for Catwoman, a man bashing zombie baby seals with a bat. Ennis is not afraid to tweak the other heroes in the DC Universe. One issue has bar patrons signing a petition to have Superman cut his long hair. Monaghan pukes on Batman's boots and publicly humiliates Green Lantern. Finally, Ennis loads the books up with rowdy 'n' randy guy talk, focusing frequently on Monaghan and his friends hanging out over poker or pool. These scenes allow Ennis to segue into touching, guy-bonding comedy, such as the buddies talking about coping with death during the "Final Night" crisis in issue #8.

Introduced in DEMON ANNUAL #2, Monaghan is the only successful new character to come from DC Comics' big "Bloodlines" crossover event of 1993. The theory was that DC would introduce a dozen or two new superheroes -- the New Blood -- in their comics' annuals and all would become instant sensations making DC the number one publisher again. (That might be the ultra-optimistic theory, actually.) What they got was HITMAN -- a single on-going title featuring a single member of the New Blood. Considering how unsuccessful most crossover event spinoffs are, I suppose DC is probably quite happy with the results.

I know I am.

_____

Grade: B+

(HITMAN #25 is solicited this month in PREVIEWS on page 97! HITMAN: TEN THOUSAND BULLETS TP is solicited this month in PREVIEWS on page 94! HITMAN TP is resolicited this month in PREVIEWS on page 94!)

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THUNDERBOLTS #-1 and #1-9 (Marvel Comics)

THUNDERBOLTS ANNUAL '97 (Marvel Comics)

Kurt Busiek sucker punched me.

He knew my defenses would be down. As I read the debut of the Thunderbolts in THE INCREDIBLE HULK #449 (Marvel Comics), my only thought was: "Oh, look. Marvel is debuting yet another superhero team. " I was not impressed with their appearance in TALES OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE the following month either: "Avengers wannabes. Ho-hum."

I almost didn't buy the first issue of the monthly THUNDERBOLTS comic, but then I thought to myself, "Well, if anyone can make these losers interesting it's writer Kurt Busiek." So I bought in for a few issues.

Or rather I bought into it. I fell for the feint that distracted me from the sucker punch.

Even the first issue of the book did little to impress me . . . until the last page . . until the sucker punch: the Thunderbolts are the bad guys!

It's no longer a secret that the superhero group, the Thunderbolts, is actually the masquerading supervillain group, the Masters of Evil. They've taken on the roles of crimefighters to win the trust of the public and to win access to the secret files of the Avengers in order to sucker punch all those trusting dolts. Y'know, sorta like Kurt Busiek did to me?

The troubling aspect is that the Masters of Evil are getting away with their nefarious plot. Headed up by the mastermind Baron Zemo, the Thunderbolts are knocking off their competition -- fellow supervillains -- and setting up their foes -- the superheroes and government agencies -- for a fall. With the Avengers and the Fantastic Four "killed" during the "Onslaught" storyline, the Thunderbolts have taken advantage of the superhero shortage to step in and steal the public's attention with some high-profile adventures. They literally stepped into the Fantastic Four's place when the mayor awarded them the FF's HQ, Four Freedoms Plaza (formerly the Baxter Building), as a new headquarters.

Some glitches have popped up. While most heroes are appreciative of the Thunderbolts' help, the heroine Black Widow -- a former villainess herself -- is suspicious of them and has begun to dig into their past. The main threat to the Thunderbolts' plans, however, comes from within. The villainess Moonstone, now known as the Thunderbolt called Meteorite, was drafted into the group by Zemo to use her background in psychology to manipulate the media and coach the Thunderbolts in their roles. Moonstone has her own agenda though, which entails manipulating her fellow teammembers. She's encouraging romances and creating divisions to weaken the team's loyalty to Zemo. She's brought in an outsider, a young heroine named Jolt, giving her teammates the added strain of playing their roles 24 hours a day. Her plans are starting to work as several members become seduced by their roles as heroes and question their motives as villains.

This is one of the more daring plot set-ups I've seen in comics in quite a while. It's even more daring if you consider the short lifespan most villain-based comics suffer. THE JOKER and ECLIPSO (both DC Comics) were quickly cancelled. Marvel's super-hyphenated SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP managed to run for a mere 17 issues. The seven year success of Marvel's THE TOMB OF DRACULA is one of the few exceptions in recent memory.

THUNDERBOLTS does have some weaknesses that might pull it down. As amazing as the plot set-up is, it is not one which seems open-ended, especially with the imminent return of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. At some point Busiek is going to have to change the story's direction and the temptation to make the THUNDERBOLTS true heroes may be too strong to overcome. If that happens, I'm worried, because the superheroics are the least interesting parts of the book. The fight scenes and villains are pretty generic, limited to such rusty old villains as the Wrecking Crew, Arnim Zola, the Mad Thinker, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker and Hydra. The Elements of Doom -- with 109 members, each based on an element from the periodic table -- was a painfully bad group of villains who stuck around for three issues. The only interesting foes were an upstart group of Masters of Evil who stole the name since the real Masters of Evil seemed to have disappeared from the scene. Finally, the art, mostly by penciller Mark Bagley and inker Vince Russell, is merely adequate. The book could use more stylistic flair to help it stay alive.

Can Busiek beat the odds and produce a successful villain comic? If it were any other writer I'd have my doubts. But Busiek's already knocked me out once with this series, and I'm not going to underestimate him again. If you try this book, remember to keep your guard up!

_____

Grade: B

(THUNDERBOLTS #13 and THUNDERBOLTS: MARVEL'S MOST WANTED TP are solicited this month in PREVIEWS in the Marvel Section! THUNDERBOLTS: FIRST STRIKES TP and THUNDERBOLTS #2 SECOND PRINTING are resolicited this month in PREVIEWS on the Marvel Backlist!)

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HERO ALLIANCE: END OF THE GOLDEN AGE GN (Pied Piper Press)
HERO ALLIANCE: END OF THE GOLDEN AGE Limited Series (Innovation)
HERO ALLIANCE VOLUME 1 #1 (Wonder Color Comics)
HERO ALLIANCE VOLUME 2 #1-7 (Innovation)

Collecting comics is a liquid affair for me. Every month I add new titles and drop old ones. Admittedly, for me it's much easier to add. Every time I drop a title -- no matter how bad I know it is -- I agonize over it. What if the book is about to turn around? What if some exciting plot twist makes the characters more interesting? What if an amazing new creative team is announced in two months and these issues I'm passing up are no longer available? Can I live with a hole in my collection? ("Of course not," quips my wife.) What if enough people drop the title at the same time and the book goes out of business, never giving it the opportunity to get better and draw me back?

These misgivings and regrets can get tiresome, can't they?

The point of this pitiful portrayal of myself is to spotlight a series I dropped over seven years ago which still gives me pangs of regret: HERO ALLIANCE.

HERO ALLIANCE started off with a bang. The 1986 graphic novel subtitled "End of the Golden Age" was amongst the most recent wave of "grim and gritty" superheroes. (Yeah, "grim and gritty" used to come in waves during the 70's and 80's. In the 90's, we're adrift on a sea of "grim and gritty.") HERO ALLIANCE was refreshing for its ability to put a touch of Golden Age hope in the midst of its modern age despair. The icing on the cake was the topnotch artwork by newcomers Ron Lim and Bart Sears.

Victor is the protagonist of the book. Formed from the Superman mold and invested with unlimited powers, Victor is a twenty-year veteran of superheroics who trained at the knee of the original costumed hero of this universe, the Golden Guardman. Victor got a little self-involved, neglected his responsibilities, and an entire team of superheroes died as a result. Now he's struggling to live up to the ideals of his mentor while pulling together a new team of young heroes in need of guidance.

The young heroes are brassy and bold, unsure and ineffective, clumsy and stupid, strong and independent, ferocious and unforgiving, grim and gritty. Kris, the daughter of the Golden Guardman, uses her super strength to undo the harm caused by her psychopathic brother. Sentry constantly lies and poses to build a dark, scary reputation. Gemini Plus are twin brothers whose powers are interdependent; the responsible Steve is reluctantly drawn into the role of a superhero by the impulsive, skirt-chasing Bob. Empowered by aliens, the more pain the Starcorp Man inflicts on his opponents, the more pain he feels -- and he's a masochist. Eager young hero Argent has a dark secret that could end his career before it begins, and he is being blackmailed by the first villain he caught.

The graphic novel and early issues of HERO ALLIANCE were overflowing with ideas. Writers Kevin Juaire and David Campiti were obviously excited; it showed on every page. If their eagerness resulted in a sketchy story with jarring transitions, I could forgive them since the situations, dialogue and characters were so engaging. Likewise, Lim and Sears produced some of the best linework of their lives; I'm not sure I've liked anything they've done since as much. Some of the credit must go to fellow artistic contributors Mike Witherby and Rick J. Bryant.

The departure of Juaire and Lim after the second issue of the regular series really hurt the book, but didn't prove fatal immediately. The quality of the writing actually improved when Robert M. Ingersoll joined David Campiti as co-author with issue #4, but the energy of the storytelling flagged. The large cast became a detriment, as my favorite characters were often pushed to the background and neglected. Indeed, most of the characters were strong enough to carry their own book and felt slighted in this format. As the overall plot became more cohesive, the characters became just a little less interesting. Go figure.

With my interest wilting, I remember dropping the book for an amalgamation of little reasons. The coloring was hideous: garish, blurred and rife with mistakes. Readers were subjected to a series of arbitrary costume changes for the heroes -- a silly thing to do in a regular series less than a year old. The artists following Sears and Lim changed fairly frequently in the first seven issues; contributors included Roy Richardson, Keith Williams, Mike Witherby, Craig Brasfield, Rik Levins, and Mark Jones. While all of the artists were competent, none could live up to his predecessors.

Apparently, I wasn't alone in dropping the title. A dozen or so issues later, HERO ALLIANCE disappeared along with its publisher, Innovation. This month, Caliber Comics gives you the chance to start your own HERO ALLIANCE collection as they liquidate Innovation's backstock.

You might think it's rather gloomy to read a book that failed from a publisher that failed, but HERO ALLIANCE is a lost gem. While it never achieved greatness, I have always remembered it fondly. Rereading the issues of HERO ALLIANCE for this review, I began to feel melancholy. By issue #7, I had again grown slightly bored with the book, but I had recaptured my love for the characters. It's enough to make me track down the issues I'm missing because I stopped reading it too soon. While I regret dropping the title all those years ago, I can now look forward to discovering those stories I missed. You, on the other hand, can skip the regrets and go right to the joy of discovery.

_____	HERO ALLIANCE: END OF THE GOLDEN AGE	Grade: B
_____	HERO ALLIANCE Volume 1 & 2	Grade: C+
_____	Overall	Grade: B-

(HERO ALLIANCE SPECIAL SET, HERO ALLIANCE: END OF THE GOLDEN AGE GN, and HERO ALLIANCE QUARTERLY #1-4 are resolicited by Caliber Comics this month in PREVIEWS on page 229!)

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