REVIEW: CAPED #2
Release Date: 20 May 2009
Writers: Josh Lobis and Darin Moiselle
Artist: Yair Herrera
Covers: Saumin Patel, Joe Quinones
Colours: Renato Faccini
Letterer: Johnny Lowe
Publiser: BOOM! Studios
Jimmy Lohman’s dream is to be a reporter. Too bad he’s stuck being the newest (in a very long line) PA to the increasingly pathetic superhero, Edge. But it may not be all dry cleaning and appearances as Jimmy puts those reporter qualities to good use and starts piecing together a much bigger conspiracy than he could have imagined.
This floppy made me laugh out loud. A lot. The snarky dialogue sets this comic up to be the spandex version of Office Space. In the Capes and Tights group, we don’t get a bunch of godlike supes, striking statuesque poses while spouting dramatic monologues. Nope, we get heroes that barely live up to that word. Sure, they fight crime (some of them actually win), but they’re a bunch of back-biting, bitchy teenage girls while doing it.
I know that sounds like a bad thing, but the the dialogue between the characters is handled brilliantly so you’re entertained by these “flaws” instead of annoyed by them. As big a fan as I am for the more traditional superhero stories, I have to admit seeing them in Caped as more human than otherworldly tickled me. Instead of heroes, they’re quasi-celebrities (right down to needing personal assistants to take care of their laundry for them). The one person without hero experience or abilities turns out to be the one doing the superheroes’ jobs by the end of the issue. You could totally see this happening in reality if there were such a thing as superheroes. They get a little fame under their utility belt, and suddenly it’s all about having their picture taken instead of actually fighting crime. The superhero group would be micro-managed, have expense reports, and offices where they crowd the underlings so close together there aren’t even cubicle dividers. Definitely something you won’t see in the JLA anytime soon.
However, this story does have the oft used “They Know My Alter-Ego!!!!” plot device and that could quickly make this turn into a real snorefest. How many different ways can you spin that old 45? The interaction between the characters is interesting enough so far that I’m willing to find out.
The art is gritty where it needs to be (the settings of the city, the superheroes and villains), but simple and clean when dealing with Jimmy and the other PA he has passing conversations with. It’s a nice technique to help push the “he’s a naive, fresh faced boy, looking for his big break” aspect of Jimmy that’s effective. The heavy shadows and lined faces of the heroes and villains makes it seem like you don’t know which side to trust (which the reveal towards the end helps solidify).
