Pen-Elayne on the Web

Blogathon 2003, Post #24
Pen-Elayne For Your Thoughts – HEROES ANONYMOUS #1 (of 6)
Session #1: The Angst of Attaboy

Co-Creator, Story and Script: Scott M. Gimple
Pencils: A.J. Jothikumar
Inks: Andrew Pepoy
Letters: Chris Ungar
Graphic Embellishment and Design: Serban Cristescu
Co-Creator, Additional Pencils/Inks, Editor: Bill Morrison
Published by Bongo Entertainment, Inc.

Here's what I thought…

Warning: May Be Spoilers Ahead

I have a soft spot in my heart for humor comics. What I think is cool about this one is not only its unusual duotone coloring throughout (the black and orange are all kinda Hallowe'eny, aren't they?) but the fact that the story itself works as both comedy and pathos. The conceit is that "a group of Gothopolis' greatest (and lamest) superheroes gather on Wednesday nights for coffee, donuts, imported nougat, and intensive group therapy!" In the premier issue, the session is interrupted by a hero and villain in mid-fight crashing through their window, and session leader The Blitz deems that a good enough reason to make the young hero in question, Attaboy, relate his origin story and how he came to be in his current predicament. The art is busy in places but effective, and Andy’s bold linework really makes Jothikumar’s pencils pop. (More humor and "bigfoot" comics would be well served by depth-of-field inkers.) The pacing is terrific, you care about Attaboy from the start even as you realize how absurd the story actually is, and there's even a happy ending! I just hope Gary Coleman has a sense of humor, is all I have to say.

So, what did y'all think?