Truth, Justin, and the American Way #1
Quick Rating: Very Good
Justin’s new duds carry with them a big surprise…
Writers: Scott Kurtz & Aaron Williams
Art: Giuseppe Ferrario
Cover Art: Giuseppe Ferrario
Publisher: Image Comics
Review: The creators of PVP and Nodwick come together for this new project, a goofy, silly look at superheroes - and at the 80s. Scott Kurtz and Aaron Williams’s new title is more a parody of 80s television and pop culture than anything else.
Justin Cannell is a decent young man trying to get his life on track - trying to find a decent job, planning his wedding to the love of his life and more or less just hoping to get by. Then, on the day of his bachelor party, a shootout between the U.S. government and Soviet agents winds up with Justin getting his hands on a super-suit of incredible power… and no idea how to use it.
There’s a lot to parody from here, from the obvious (the main setup is eerily similar to [b]The Greatest American Hero/b]), to the easy (lots of send-ups of 80s action flicks) to the subtle (Justin’s house looks hilariously similar to the set of Family Ties). Some armchair critics have already dismissed this as a rip-off of TGAH, but they’re denying themselves a really fun read. Maybe it’s because I’m a child of the 80s myself, but the parody in the book is spot-on.
Kurtz and Williams spend a lot of time on the set-up this issue, and Justin and his cast haven’t quite evolved beyond the archetypes they parody just yet, but one hopes that they’ll be able to do this as the series progresses and there’s less pressure to set things up.
Giuseppe Ferrario, a newcomer to American audiences, does a magnificent job on the artwork. From the hairstyles to the clothes to even the background details (like the aforementioned Family Ties set), he’s nailed the look of this title, and he should have a longg career in front of him as long as he keeps finding fun projects to put his talents to.
This issue, as is to be expected, is mostly set-up. But it’s fun set-up, and well worth checking out.
Rating: 8/10
Justin’s new duds carry with them a big surprise…
Writers: Scott Kurtz & Aaron Williams
Art: Giuseppe Ferrario
Cover Art: Giuseppe Ferrario
Publisher: Image Comics
Review: The creators of PVP and Nodwick come together for this new project, a goofy, silly look at superheroes - and at the 80s. Scott Kurtz and Aaron Williams’s new title is more a parody of 80s television and pop culture than anything else.
Justin Cannell is a decent young man trying to get his life on track - trying to find a decent job, planning his wedding to the love of his life and more or less just hoping to get by. Then, on the day of his bachelor party, a shootout between the U.S. government and Soviet agents winds up with Justin getting his hands on a super-suit of incredible power… and no idea how to use it.
There’s a lot to parody from here, from the obvious (the main setup is eerily similar to [b]The Greatest American Hero/b]), to the easy (lots of send-ups of 80s action flicks) to the subtle (Justin’s house looks hilariously similar to the set of Family Ties). Some armchair critics have already dismissed this as a rip-off of TGAH, but they’re denying themselves a really fun read. Maybe it’s because I’m a child of the 80s myself, but the parody in the book is spot-on.
Kurtz and Williams spend a lot of time on the set-up this issue, and Justin and his cast haven’t quite evolved beyond the archetypes they parody just yet, but one hopes that they’ll be able to do this as the series progresses and there’s less pressure to set things up.
Giuseppe Ferrario, a newcomer to American audiences, does a magnificent job on the artwork. From the hairstyles to the clothes to even the background details (like the aforementioned Family Ties set), he’s nailed the look of this title, and he should have a longg career in front of him as long as he keeps finding fun projects to put his talents to.
This issue, as is to be expected, is mostly set-up. But it’s fun set-up, and well worth checking out.
Rating: 8/10