Just Read - Heroic by Curren and Quackenbush

Picture that it is 1990 but you have all the knowledge that you have in the year 2013. Picture reading a comic series that feels like it’s 1990 but has all the knowledge of 2013. I beat the comics you are reading are Heroic #1-3 by Glen Curren and Ryan Quackenbush.

Full disclosure, Glen and Ryan are good friends of mine and I had been checking out the art for Heroic while Ryan was drawing the book. This still did not prepare me for the journey that I was about to enter when I read these books, a journey that I had been afraid to take. I picked up these back about 2 months ago at the Phoenix Comicon, but I had put off reading them, because I didn’t think the book would ever live up to the hype the I had made for them in my head, while looking at the original art each month. But I was wrong!

As I said in the opening I was immediately taking back to 1990 and I felt like I was 17 again reading a cutting edge comic back some of my favorite creators of the time, most of who no long make any comics. Curren has constructed a nice look at the super-hero mythos and to say that it hasn’t been done before would be a lie, but Curren has add on the knowledge that he now hold in 2013 back to the style of comics that were being made in 1990. There’s over the top violence, sexual tension, pot shots at the man, everything I loved about books from 1990.

And Quackenbush’s art, all I can say is WOW! I have seen the original art, which is awesome, but the way that it has been scanned and ever so slightly tweaked, gives the book a very moody and brooding feel. While it is very reminiscent of a particular school of art from 80’s and 90’s, a style of art that has been missing from comics for the past 10 years (maybe even 15.) Also did I mention that this is Quackenbush’s first comic work and he has more comics planned, this boy is only going to get better.

The book is very nostalgic, so if you are looking for a modern trip down memory lane, Heroic #1-3 is for you. The story follows a super-hero duo and their encounters with a evil villainous mastermind who has some dastardly plans to make the world a better place through music. The story is complete in these 3 issues (not sure if they are planning a trade or not), so you will not have to wait for future issues to wrap up the storyline.

-Denny Riccelli creates comics under the pen name ‘dennmann’ he currently publishes the webcomic Cousin Harold and some mini-comics now and then, including Jenny Spookawski Ghost Girl. He lives in Peoria, Arizona with his wife and 2 kids.