Deron Generally
Deron Generally
One-Star Squadron #1
DC Comics
Written by Mark Russell
Art by Steve Lieber
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Dave Sharpe
The Rundown: Everyday superheroes navigate their real world problems in and out of costume.
There’s a new company dedicated to finding a way for heroes that didn’t make their way onto the Justice League roster to still make a living helping others. That company is called HEROZ4U. They do it all from telemarketing to promotional events to birthday parties. It’s a company that attracts hero names like Black Condor, Red Tornado, Hawk & Dove and more. Unfortunately, not all heroes are in demand as Minute Man will realize when he tries to petition Red Tornado for more work.
As Tornado thinks about why he became a hero, his mind turns to a mission with Superman. As he remembers the high he felt taking on the bad guys and winning, the reality of life as a hero and the bills that pile up when you spend your days fighting bad guys instead of working a 9 to 5 begin to weigh in. When a strange man who can’t remember who he is turns up at the office, Tornado takes him in and begins to investigate who he is and what happened to him.
The Story: Russell crafts and intriguing, irreverent and entertaining first issue of this limited series. It takes a different approach to the superhero mythos and highlights the not often mentioned reality of these characters both during their prime and after it. I like the dark places that the story goes and how it gives humanity to these characters. This is a fun, funny and often bittersweet story that definitely got my attention and made me interested in where the story goes and evolves next.
The Art: Lieber does some great work with the art in the issue. There is an understated humanity to the way the characters are depicted. There aren’t any flashy, buff characters to be seen. The characters look like real people and that perfectly captures the spirit of the story.
One-Star Squadron #1
