In my opinion… this is a comic book for people who are not fans of the traditional superhero genre. I’m not exactly sure if that’s what Kyle Higgins had in mind, but I just can’t shake that feeling. And I’m a little surprised that this idea came from a man who’s had so much success in the past with capes in general. Maybe he just wants another creative outlet that allows him to explore other things, I totally get that. So here we go... Chicago. 1960s. The streets have never been safer. But that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Tensions are high when it’s possible that your services may no longer be necessary. This is a time when the superhero labor union known as C.O.W.L is trying to maintain their public image while keeping their agents from turning on each other. Keep in mind that this organization once stood as a beacon of hope. What these folks need now, is a brand new threat to keep the citizens of Chicago on their side. Let’s see if that happens. But will the threat come from the outside, or within?
This isn’t really something that interests me. However, I don’t automatically give bad scores just because I don’t like something, so if this synopsis seems interesting, go for it! I just don’t think that this book is going to have what I need from a series. It seems way too political right off the bat. I tend to go for stories that are a little more straightforward. But…
The script was very well written. I found myself intrigued by the plot. Mind you, a plot that I didn’t find that interesting in the first place. So that’s a plus. Higgins definitely has honed his skills over the years.
I could already tell that I had gotten myself into something that I wasn’t ready for when I had a look at the first page. The artwork just didn’t speak to me. I was kind of intimidated by the darkness of it all. I guess that I was hoping more for the bubbly part of the sixties rather than whatever this was. The art is good, and it matches the script perfectly, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to keep me interested.
Now try to think of my score more in terms of my enjoyment level, and not a measure of quality. I tried to dig it, but I probably won’t continue reading it. Maybe I misunderstood what the overall feel of the book would be when I first heard about it, I don’t know, but it definitely won’t be added to my pull list.
Score: 3/5
Writer: Kyle Higgins and Alec Siegel Artist: Rod Reis Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 5/28/14 Format: Ongoing, Print/Digital