When it comes to the heroes and villains of Twilight City, it was never just black and white, good and evil, but someone has changed the rules. Minimum Spoilers Ahead
Cover by Scott Hepburn & Ian HerringWritten by Patton Oswalt & Jordan Blum
Illustrated by Scott Hepburn
Colored by Ian Herring
Lettered by Nate Piekos of BLAMBOTFormer villain Frankie Follis is trying to live on the straight and narrow after a stint in prison. As the sidekick “Playtime” to her mother’s supervillain alias, “Toy Queen,” Frankie helped rob countless banks with her supernatural gift of taking any objects and turning them into weaponry disguised as toys. In Twilight City, there is no simple idea of good and evil. There are heroes, villains and everyone in between, but there are rules, and said heroes and villains follow those rules. You rob a bank, you run the risk of getting into it with a hero or two. There are strategic fist fights, but nothing resulting in brutal violence, or death, until now.
Writers Patton Oswalt (“Black Hammer: Visions”) and Jordan Blum (“M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games”) have created a new indie superhero comic that is both an homage to all super-powered books that have come before it, and a strong narrative that questioningly pokes at the rules and mythologies so many of us have held near and dear for decades. Why don’t the superhero fights end in deaths? Why do the villains keep getting locked up, just to create mayhem a short time later? What happens when someone decides to destroy the established status quo? These are questions that have been asked in comic books over the last thirty plus years, but rather than taking a more cynical route that someone like Frank Miller or Alan Moore would have us follow, Oswalt and Blum give the characters in this opening issue just as much empathy, pathos, and vulnerable loyalty that many a comics reader has for the worlds they love. They want things to remain the same, they want the rules to be followed so they can all keep fighting another day. It is a clear and understandable foundation of rules and set dressing. This isn’t making mean spirited jabs at the medium. While that can be fun in the right hands, there is no need for that sort of writing with this book. It knows what it is, where it comes from, and what it wants to tell us right from jump.
After being unable to find work due her status as both a metahuman, and a felon, Frankie finds herself bar-tending at a local super-villain joint. One of, presumably, many establishments that is a safe have for C and D-Listers looking to whet their whistle and stay out of trouble for a few hours. It also has rules. No fighting, and no bringing your fight with a hero into the pub. All troubles are left at the door. That is, until the villain known as The Stickman kills Kid Dusk, sidekick to the crime-fighter known as The Insomniac. This makes the entire superhero team, The Continuum, turn Twilight City into a police state, hunting down and beating information out of any villain they find, no matter how small time they may be. It is a very ugly look for the heroes of this universe, but the more Frankie narrates about her days as Playtime, her post-prison struggles, and exactly how these superheroes have always treated the world as their playground, it’s hard to find sympathy, and much easier to see them as demi-gods who just may actually be the problem. With The Stickman still on the loose, Frankie and a few of her villainous patrons decide they need to team up to take down this baddie who was willing to make life hell for all citizens of Twilight City.
Oswalt and Blum’s inspirations and references are legion, but they never allow that to bog down “Minor Threats” in a reference-laden look back at comics, nor is it an out right homage – cum – deconstruction, like a “Watchmen” or even “Black Hammer.” Taking clear inspiration from various famed books and their C-List villains like “Batman,” “X-Men,” and “The Amazing Spider-Man,” these villains are allowed to live in their gimmick, even if it is cheesy, hokey, or downright absurd. They love this life. They may treat it like they punch in and out of it like a Monday thru Friday office job, but it is everything to them.
Continued belowOne of the greatest strengths of “Minor Threats” #1 is the ability to create such a rich world building narrative, all while centering the story on Frankie, and never falling into a pit of references and easter eggs. There are some throughout to be sure, but never in a manner that is wholly distracting. Including, but not exclusive to: a mask not unlike Spider-Man’s (and others) hangs above the bar, there is a building seen in silhouette that bears a striking resemblance to the Daily Planet, and even the Insomniac and Kid Dusk share some distinct costume parallels to a certain dynamic duo. These are fun nods that are just that, and never take away from the compelling writing that is forefront. A somewhat dialogue and internal narration heavy comic, the pace is expertly laid out. As both Oswalt and Blum have written other comics, television episodes, and films, they are no stranger to having to find the best way possible to get through a lot of information in a way that is enriching, interesting, and never makes us stop and question why we want to be guided into the story they are telling.
The illustrations by Scott Hepburn (“Thor” & “The Flash”), are truly stunning. His ability to bring forth exactly the kind of world and characters that the script is creating is rarely seen in modern comics. The detail and lived-in nature of “Minor Threats” is so deep and enriched, it is impossible to not look over page and panel multiple times. Impeccably crafted and detailed in a way that gives readers the sense that these people and this world have existed and will continue to exist, even after they turn the page or close the comic. Spaces are cluttered and filled in a way that speaks to true life, and will never give you an eye strain trying to devour every line like a Geof Darrow, Darick Robertson, or Carlos Ezquerra page may cause (as much as I absolutely love that kind of work). Ian Herring (“Ms. Marvel” & “TMNT: Villains” Microseries) brings his outstanding coloring talents to this book and like a Dave Stewart or Laura Allred, it is done so in such an exquisite manner that you will never question if it should have been done any other way.
Rich and varied palettes that are perfectly suited for each and every scene, down to the most inconsequential panel bring out the life and ideas of this book. And as if the majority of this book didn’t look so incredible on its own, with its own style, Cover A for this issue is a gorgeous homage to the work of Mike Mignola in the 1980s, most notably, covers he did for “X-Men Classic” and “The Avengers.” Mignola himself did the Cover B variant with long-time colorist Dave Stewart. It’s interesting to see a piece done looking back at how Mignola worked over 30 years ago, compared to his cover that is so steadfast in his current style that he has perfected over the last few decades.
“Minor Threats” #1 was one of the best times I have had reading a new comic. Oswalt, Blum, and company have created a near-perfect comic book that is referential without over-saturation.
Final Verdict: 9.5, Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum have created an homage to all super-powered comic books that have come before it with a satisfying narrative that lovingly, questioningly, pokes at the rules of superheroes and the worlds they inhabit.
