HERO BY NIGHT (ONGOING) #1 REVIEW

[Blake Petit]

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

With Roz safe and the Iron Talon defeated, can Jack King put aside the power of Hero By Night?

Writers: DJ Coffman & James Patrick
Art: DJ Coffman
Colors: Jason Embury
Letters: DJ Coffman
Editor: Dave Collins
Cover Art: DJ Coffman & Jason Embury
Publisher: Platinum Studios

Two months ago (in comic book time), Jack King defeated the supervillain called the Iron Talon and saved the love of his life, Rosalind, using the power of Hero By Night – a hero who has been missing since 1956. Now Jack and Roz are together, and engaged. Jack’s job as the landlord of a building his father owned is coming together. He’s fallen in love with his neighborhood, cleaned up his act and become more of the man Roz always knew he could.

There’s just one catch. While he has agreed to put away the uniform and headquarters of the old Hero By Night, Jack can’t quiet seem to put away the power ring that turned him into a superhero. What’s more, his friend R.T. is encouraging him to keep up his nocturnal heroics… and when he sees a bump in crime and natural disasters wreaking havoc around the world, he starts to wonder if maybe it really is time for Hero By Night to live again.

Coffman has really won me over with this series. Jack King works both as a relatable protagonist and as a superhero in training. What’s more, he has quickly sold us on the Jack/Roz relationship as well. While in the first series Roz felt a sort of one-way, unrequited love, it’s not hard to believe that Jack could begin reciprocating so quickly. The subplot with the original Hero, David Day, is intriguing as well. Right now David just seems to have a sort of natural curiosity about Jack’s career. That invites a plethora of questions, of course – does he approve? Is he angry? Does he want his power back? Does he think Jack is unworthy? Will he become a mentor or an adversary or something else entirely?

Coffman and Jason Embury’s artwork is still strong here. The book has a clean look, a very animated style, but one that’s still starkly superheroic. The full-page shot of Jack wearing the costume (a costume he fills out considerably better than he did in the miniseries, it’s worth noting) is downright poster-worthy.

I do so love this book, and I couldn’t be happier that it’s back.

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