"Freshmen"
Veterans of the first week of a college year know the look of a freshman. Excited, anxious to speak and filled with the kind of pluck that only a semester at AU can drain completely. An arsenal of superpowers is not usually at the disposal of a freshman, but this is not the case for a group of unlikely kids in Top Cow's newest comic book, "Freshmen."
"Freshmen" uses everyone's favorite college stereotypes as catalysts for superpowers and creates a story packing a comedic punch. Actor/producer Seth Green ("Austin Powers") and writer Hugh Sterbaknov created "Freshmen," while "JSA" alum Leonard Kirk is doing pencils.
The college freshmen in this new comic get super powers in a science building accident. These kids don't speed faster than bullets or sling webs, though. One character, "The Intoxicator," has the power to make any foe drunk, stoned or hung over with his "toxic belches." Unfortunately, he must be smashed or high himself to make it work. Meanwhile, "Green Thumb" can talk to plants, but this actually proves to be a problem since he's a vegan.
Sterbaknov's got the group dynamic thing down, even though the characters themselves are quite exaggerated and Kirk's drawings are distinct (they're not all bodybuilders). The winning point of "Freshmen" is balance. There are enough super-heroics to satisfy comic fans and the story is funny enough to stand out from other super-teen team tales.
The first story arc spans six issues. Though the first two issues are sold out, reprints are on the way. This is one new series that comic fans won't want to miss!
"City of Heroes"
Gamers will no doubt already know of the comic adaptation of the massive multiplayer online role-playing game, "City Of Heroes." "City of Heroes" is a story about Paragon City, a fictional metropolis in Rhode Island filled with superheroes of every kind.
Probably the best comparison is something like "JLA" or "Avengers," but what makes this superhero team series unique is the story and universe elements that come from the game. The series is currently written by Mark Waid, who is best known for writing "Kingdom Come," the DC universe future story featuring paintings by fan favorite Alex Ross. On pencils for "City of Heroes" is David Nakayama, who seems to capture the right scale for the story.
As always with super teams, the story is driven more by the group dynamic and not the actual super-heroics. The series is quite well done considering the source material is a video game. The individual issues themselves are kind of short, however, because they also include some fan art/fiction written by players of the computer game.
The first story arc throws readers right into the universe, explaining the necessary details along the way. It's nice to have a first issue without all the exposition and power explanation. "City of Heroes" has all the super-heroics and none of the continuity baggage of the two major comic book brands.
"Hunter-Killer"
Mark Waid also writes "Hunter-Killer," another new series for Top Cow. This story is about a government conspiracy where it's difficult to tell who's good and who's out to kill. The characters in this story are all "Ultra Sapiens" created by a government experiment. Of course, not all of these guys are nice, so the Hunter-Killer teams exist to keep them in line.
This series is only four issues old, but it already has enough intrigue to sustain longevity. The main character Ellis is not really a superhero. He's got superpowers, sure, but heroic? Not really. Still, it's up to him to figure out the right way to deal with government forces that want to recruit (read: use) him, and the rogue "Ultra Sapiens" who are trying to kill him for a secret buried in his DNA. Throw in a conspiracy going back to the Cuban missile crisis, and you've got "Hunter-Killer."
This comic is penciled by Marc Silvestri, who is one of today's better artists. He is one of the original founders of Image comics alongside fellow comic superstars Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane. This is definitely worth a read, and fortunately, most of the issues are still available.
