HERO BY NIGHT #2 REVIEW

[Blake Petit]

Review by: Blake M. Petit Blake@comixtreme.com
Quick Rating: Very Good

Jack’s seeming windfall may land him in hot water.

Writer: DJ Coffman
Art: DJ Coffman
Colors: Jason Embury
Letters: DJ Coffman
Editor: Paul Cibis & Jim McLaughlin
Cover Art: DJ Coffman & Jason Embury
Publisher: Platinum Studios Comics

After finding the lost headquarters of a superhero who vanished 50 years ago, Jack King did what most of us would have done – he puts the hero’s journals up for sale on eBay. What didn’t occur to him, though, is that some of Hero By Night’s old enemies may still be lurking, and may decide that they’d rather get their hands on the hero’s journals in a way that would negatively impact their feedback rating.

Jack begins to explore – perhaps a bit too late – the different possibilities in his find, while the Iron Talon begins to search for the person responsible for selling his old enemy’s belongings. Jack also encounters his dad, and begins to realize how some of his irresponsible behavior may be catching up to him. This comic is accomplishing several things at once – it’s part mystery, part coming-of-age story and part origin story all at once.

It’s also, simply put, highly entertaining. Coffman’s characters feel quite realistic. We’re not being asked to believe that Jack is some immensely noble young man who just happened to stumble upon an old hero’s cache of goods. Instead, he’s a pretty ordinary man – even a bit of a slacker – who is being forced to confront his mistakes and find a hero inside himself. It’s a pretty good message, really.

Coffman’s artwork is just as good as his writing. He’s got a wonderful, slightly cartoony style that perfectly suits the tone of the story. Joined by wonderful colors by Jason Embury, this is a package that looks ripe for the translation into an animated movie (or even TV series).

Coffman has totally succeeded in winning me over. He’s got a really fun story with really great characters. I know that more adventures are available online, but I sure hope this miniseries isn’t the only comic book we’ll get to see featuring Hero By Night.

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