There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth when Abnett and Lanning’s run on “Nova” ended in 2010. Fast forward a couple years, and they’re releasing a creator owned series from BOOM! Studios with interesting parallels. Can they recreate the same space magic from scratch?
Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Illustrated by Tom Derenick, Brad Walker, and Andres Guinaldo
The hit writing team behind your favorite cosmic superhero epics do it THEIR way at BOOM! It is the far future; the human race has finally colonized the galaxy, preserving an era of prosperity that’s only possible because of The Hypernaturals. They’re a celebrated, galaxy-wide superhero task force that keeps the peace. That is, until they all mysteriously vanish. Now, as the galaxy teeters on the brink of chaos, it’s up to a group of retired and long-forgotten Hypernaturals – and their novice recruits – to save the galaxy from complete destruction. Collecting the Free Comic Book Day edition and issues 1-3 of the critically acclaimed series, THE HYPERNATURALS VOLUME 1 has Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, the superstar writing duo behind ANNIHILATION and THE LEGION, reuniting with GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY artist Brad Walker, along with Tom Derenick (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA) and Andres Guinaldo (GOTHAM CITY SIRENS) to kick off their original series that takes cosmic superheroes to an all-new frontier!
“Hypernaturals” is set in the future, in a society spanning the galaxy and controlled by the superest supercomputer ever. The computer is so vital, the society divides its calendar by before and after its creation. This large empire is policed by the Hypernaturals, a military-like grouping of individuals who were born with special talents. (Think X-Men, but loved instead of hated.) Something goes wrong and the current squad vanish, causing retired veterans to return to active duty. They didn’t all retire under the best circumstances, and drama ensues. Most importantly, each chapter actively pushes the narrative forward. There is no filler here.
While there are definately comparisons to be made to their work on “Nova,” this book is definately its own beast. Unlike another BOOM! book, “Irredeemable”, the characters here aren’t just expys of established archetypes. Each cast member has deep characterization and there was an honest attempt to come up with some original abilities, though some are more inspired than others. The focus on the old guard instead of the young guns also gives the book mature feel.
Each individual issue came with a couple pages of prose which helped to expand the universe. Most of them were in the form of interviews with the main characters. These add quite a bit to the series, and provides a very convienient excuse for exposition about everyone’s backstories and motivations. Unfortunately, the collection keeps them in place at the end of each chapter instead of lumping them together in the back. In some other books, like “Watchmen”, this works because none of the issues end in a mid-action cliffhanger. Here, the flow a fight scene gets interupted by a two page spread of prose before getting back to the punching.
This series is also easy on the eyes. The art is very clean, each member of the large cast is very distinct, and their various powers are displayed with a style which makes the descriptions of their abilities more clear. When people on the pages are in motion, they really look dynamic. When they’re feeling emotion, you can see it in their faces and their body language. The artists also have a good sense of perspective, and aren’t afraid to zoom in or pull back when it helps the narration.
This volume collects the Free Comic Book Day chapter and the first three issues of the series proper. If you were able to snag the free edition and the first issue priced at a dollar, this trade won’t seem like too good of a value. If you weren’t so lucky, it’s a steal. If you like science fiction, space cops, or DnA’s previous work, you should at least give this a look through. It ends with issue twelve, so it may be worth waiting to see if it finishes strong before committing to a buy.
Final Verdict: 6
