Protectors Inc. is the third release of the re-launch of Joe’s Comics, published through Image. The previous two releases were for Ten Grand and Sidekick (Please feel free to check both reviews here at Comic Bastards).  Protectors Inc. tells the story of a brand of heroes(?) That emerged at the end of World War II and continued through the next fifty years to develop into superstars and power brokers in the modern arena.  Protector’s Inc. #1 is the brainchild of writer J. Michael Straczynski and the line art is by Gordon Purcell. During this opening issue, we are introduced to a few characters and given a general history of the Protectors. I don’t want to give anything away, but events at the beginning and end set things in motion with the middle laying the foundation of the back story.  It is a pretty good opening go.

This is one of the issues that I have been looking forward to reading (see “My Pull List” for 11/06/2013), and I must say that the issue was nothing as I had imagined. The blurb that has been circulating around online was very basic and it had me thinking of more of a power through business/politics rather than superpowers. That very well may be where the story goes in the future; we’ll see.  In spite of this initial confusion however, I must say that overall I am pleased with this first issue. It did a good job of catching my interest with the events at the beginning and end.  And it kept me entertained as I read the brief history of the evolution of the Protectors, right down to some of the cheesy costumes that some of them had (nice touch).

The writing by Straczynski is flowing with no breaks or any confusing lines. It guides you from points A to Z with all the stops in between.  Adding to this is the excellent artwork by Gordon Purcell and wonderful coloring by Michael Atiyeh (have to give credit where it’s due). The colors are strong and elicit a confidence in the story making for a very strong tale. It is an impressive feat.

This story at the end gives the reader a bombshell and creates a mystery that is a trademark of all good comics. It peaks and plateaus at just the right times and it's crafted in a way that is enjoyable to the reader.  All in all I give Protectors Inc. #1 high marks for being a full and fresh comic adventure that teases us to possible grand conspiracies, betrayals, and what it means to be a true hero. These are qualities that I know will keep me reading.  I also liked the audio copy being offered as well. These kinds of “perks” are good for the comics industry and they push the medium to new heights.

By looking at the content of the re-launched Joe’s Comics titles, I think it’s safe to say that they have succeeded in placing some quality stories into the world.  My hope is that Protectors Inc. can build on the strength of #1 and make for some excellent future reading.

Score: 4/5

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski Artist: Gordon Purcell Publisher: Image via Joe’s Comics Price $2.99 Release Date: 11/06/2013