CBR Live! Archive
Super Human Resources #1-4 Review
- by Brian Cronin
- in Comic Reviews
Super Human Resources #1, from writer Ken Marcus and artist Justin Bleep is coming out soon, and they sent me previews of the first four issues, and it really is a delightfully funny comic book.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is a remarkable piece of work by Marcus, as he really shows an effortless mixture of amusing dialogue and character-based humor all while advancing the plot in a logical fashion that has a real pay-off at the end of the four-issue mini-series.
The plot behind the series is that a young would-be-accountant named Tim gets a temp job at Super Crises International, the company that bankrolls a bunch of superheroes (paying off damages from superhero fights and hopefully recouping the money from licensing fees). I doubt that the name of the company is unintentional, as if you liked the comedic stylings of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis' similarly-named Justice League International, then this is the comic for you, as that particular brand of humor is almost exactly the style that Marcus goes for in this series, and remarkably for such a new work, pretty much achieves.
I have some concerns with the artwork, however.
I do not dislike Justin Bleep's unique art style, and I don't think it ever exactly HURTS the story, but nor do I feel that Marcus' dialogue-driven, humanistic humor is particular served by an artist who eschews conventional takes on anatomy and figure drawing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a Humberto Ramos-style art style, but I do not think it particularly blends with the style of story Marcus is attempting here. I think a "plainer" artist would fit the property better. That said, Bleep's design sense is impeccable, and I imagine he designed a great deal of the characters who populate the comic, so in that regard, he does a great job.
You can judge for yourself how the style matches the format of the comic. Here are nine preview pages that the guys have made available on their ComicSpace page.
In just these sample pages, you already get a feel for the offbeat humor Marcus provides, as well as the nifty dialogue and comedic timing (as seen in the scene with the Bog). My personal favorite bit is where the robot makes himself NEARLY invisible so as to avoid paying the money he owes, but, well, nearly invisible is not nearly invisible enough! Classic.
It's also impressive how quickly Marcus establishes personalities for these characters, which is useful when he can then later play against the type he established himself.
As a whole, the series is really a fun read filled with engaging personalities and a lot of interesting comedic plotlines, and not nearly as many as you would think are the standard "making fun of superhero conventions" types.
At the heart of this comic, the humor comes from the offbeat personalities that Marcus establishes - it just so happens that at least half of the personalities are superheroes.
Recommended.
If you're interested, let your local comic shop know about the comic! It was solicited in the December Previews!
- Posted on February 23, 2009 @ 02:57 AM
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10 Comments
Tom Fitzpatrick
February 23, 2009 at 6:17 am
Y'know, this looks kinda funny.
Maybe, I'll give it a try.
I could use a laugh or two, especially these days.
Nathan
February 23, 2009 at 6:40 am
I already put it on my reserve list when CBR did an article with one of the creators a few months ago. I am looking forward to it.
Dan Bailey
February 23, 2009 at 6:48 am
It's been on my HeavyInk sub list since ... well, not Day One, I'm sure, but pretty close to Day Two.
Kris Bather
February 23, 2009 at 6:50 am
This is a great series. I was blessed to get preview copies and it is definitely worth a read. It's a winner.
Crash-Man
February 23, 2009 at 8:04 am
The Bog takes win.
Sijo
February 23, 2009 at 8:31 am
I agree that the art style doesn't really fit the story- it looks just TOO cartoony, especially the characters' eyes.
Still, it sounds fun. Not a ha-ha riot, but in a more down-to-earth way, and there's certainly room for that in comics today. (Someone tell DC comics that. And no, Ambush Bug doesn't count.)
Btw, did Tim get the antidote or not? I don't think that was made clear enough.
Craig
February 23, 2009 at 8:59 am
Ape Entertainment has been delivering some good stuff lately. I have this on order, and I've been enjoying Heresy (a twist on a vampire story, with some Radical-esque art).
Dan Felty
February 23, 2009 at 10:53 am
This looks like a winner!
I think the art works great with the story. The point of the story is to have big, expansive superhero tropes contrast with mundane, petty concerns for humorous effect. Having a loud, kinetic style that is not hyper-realistic helps bring this contrast to the forefront. Additionally, this 'cartoony' style allows for more exaggerated poses and expressions that will serve the story well.
For example, in the Bog sequence on page 7, we expect these drawings of a scary, outlandish swamp-monster to do something, and when he doesn't, it helps build the tension that makes the joke. The art helps the pacing here.
Page 4, panel 1, works the other way. Helen strikes an arms-up, dramatic pose while Tim cowers behind her. In a realistic style, this would look foolish--"people don't really do that!" But here, it works well with the 'un-real' art, expressing Helen's gung-ho attitude and fondness for her job, while accentuating Tim's out-of-place feeling and skittishness.
Kevin Maguire's art on Justice League International was great; Justin Bleep takes a different skill set and accomplishes the same things here: the art expresses and enhances the goals of the story. That's exactly what I ask of good comic book art.
T.
February 23, 2009 at 10:59 am
You said the art is similar to Humberto Ramos. That's a decent comparison, but I think a better one would be Joey Mason, artist of the graphic novels Gun Fu.
Anyway, looks fun.
Ken
February 23, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Hi guys. Thanks for the review and the kind words, Brian. Much appreciated.
Actually that dialogue is old on my ComicSpace. We do make it clearer that Tim gets the antidote in the final book. Good catch, Sijo. I should hire you as my editor.
Obviously, I'm a big fan of Justin's work. We wanted a more Adult Swim feel to stuff, versus typical super hero style. But I definitely hear both sides of the real vs. exxagerated argument. But at the end of the day, in this tough market, it's better to stand out than blend in. And I think Justin's work does just that.
I like to say his complete disregard for anatomy and perspective mirrors my complete disregard for writing fundamentals. Hah.
And Joey Mason is our colorist and alt cover artist. Joey is awesome. Check out his work if you haven't already.
If you're interested in reading Super Human Resources, please-please-please ask your comic book store to order. This is a tough time for indy comics and retailers need to know if you're even remotely interested in reading something. Or chances are, they won't order it.
DEC083752 Issue One
DEC083753 (ALT Cover - Joey Mason)
JAN093975 Issue Two
FEB094040 Issue Three
MAR094064 Issue Four
Thanks again everyone,
ken
http://www.superhumanresourcescomic.com