First up in my stack of new stuff to read this week is the long-awaited comic book adaptation of
Arcana/Catastrophic's "
Greatest American Hero" #1. I was very excited to finally read this issue, having interviewed William Katt for CCL recently, so yeah, I was invested.
This book reminded me alot of the
Devil's Due relaunch of G.I.Joe some years ago: a book with
high expectations trying to get its' feet off the ground, not unlike the character Katt played in the TV show back in the 80's. But I'm pleased to say this book was VERY FUN to read.
The artwork by
Clint Hilinski was just what this title needed to get it going. Not meant to insult Mr. Hilinski in
any way, but his attention to detail
WITHOUT getting TOO involved into detail was
terrific. It allowed me to focus more on the
story, which, if you followed the
GAH TV show back in the day was very
story-driven,
with the characters being along for the ride as much as the viewer. Now, the story is a
re-telling. If you were expecting a brand new story...well, you might be slightly disappointed. However, the original story is so great, that the slight tweaks the writers make in the book flow nicely.
The most enjoyable part of the book for me?
It was a FUN READ. Marvel and DC are guilty in my opinion of being market-driven to sell books with stories so universally perilous that fans are required to spend hundreds of dollars to understand the story. This is
NOT the case with Greatest American Hero #1.
With a cliffhanger that harkens back to the silver age, Greatest American Hero #1 is a breathe of fresh air amidst a market flooded with invasions and crisis. In fact, this book even makes the need to watch the DVD of the show unnecessary, giving new readers a chance to start fresh with an theme that's 25 years young.
The down side and the
ONLY reason this book didn't get the
5th star? The paper used to make the cover wasn't the greatest, which sometimes is common in fledgling independents getting their feet wet. The all-black cover with flimsy cardstock left me flipping through the stack of #1s for a copy with no visible creases, which sadly, I was unable to find. High-grade copies of this book will be TOUGH to find, in my opinion as a
collector.
But as a
reader, it was a $3.50 well spent. I'm left with a
'To Be Continued' that I can swallow, and will make me run to the store next month for
issue #2. Besides, I'm dying to see Ralph in the suit!
I put Greatest American Hero #1 against ANY comic I've read this month so far. Grab two copies, and pass this onto a friend whose sick of Batman R.I.P. Trust me, I think they'll like it.