I'll admit that
when Marvel announced the new Abnett and Lanning written Heroes for Hire ages ago, I was mostly interested in the comic because it meant more time for my boy Danny Rand, also known as the Immortal Iron Fist. When the book premiered last month, but with Danny nowhere to be found, I was pretty impressed anyway: the premise, that Misty Knight plays Charlie to a group of angels that changes with the needs of each mission, was pretty clever and the down to earth feel, rotating cast, and slick artwork helped seal the deal. That said, I thought the twist at the end of the issue was a cheat- too cute for its own good, I felt like it ruined the initial premise and replaced it with one that was exploitative and not nearly as interesting.
As the month wore on, though, I softened on the matter and, by the time I purchased
this book on Wednesday, was ready to give it another go. The initial premise remains the same, and the mystery behind who it is that's really pulling the strings (that's a hint, boys and girls) deepens a good deal, with the added bonus of a detective on the case. The dual premises promise to intersect in interesting ways, and I'm curious where the book goes after what's going on right now is resolved, so that's enough to keep me around. It helps that the action is good and that the main plot of the issue is such a delightful Silver Age sort of goofy- if Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning can keep balancing two different story lines with two very different tones we'll have a very solid comic book on our hands, if not necessarily a classic.
Brad Walker's art is slick and stiff, a style that usually turns me off but works pretty well here. His art has enough motion to keep me interested and it's explosive enough to keep the uncultured teenager in me very, very happy. Given that, though, I think the book would look better if the lines were just a little bit wider and the colors weren't so gaudy. It works great for the action scenes but, as the dual stories progress, I suspect a little more finesse is going to be needed and I would hate to see what should otherwise be a great story ruined at the last second by inappropriate coloring.
Still, the book is besting its growing pains in fine fashion and, with a promised Iron Fist on the horizon, I have to stick around, at least long enough to see if the quality maintains its upward climb. This is a book that's worth a look, if you have an extra three bucks burning a hole in your pocket. Hell, it might be worth a look anyway.
I'll admit that when Marvel announced the new Abnett and Lanning written Heroes for Hire ages ago, I was mostly interested in the comic because it meant more time for my boy Danny Rand, also known as the Immortal Iron Fist. When the book premiered last month, but with Danny nowhere to be found, I was pretty impressed anyway: the premise, that Misty Knight plays Charlie to a group of angels that changes with the needs of each mission, was pretty clever and the down to earth feel, rotating cast, and slick artwork helped seal the deal. That said, I thought the twist at the end of the issue was a cheat- too cute for its own good, I felt like it ruined the initial premise and replaced it with one that was exploitative and not nearly as interesting.
Not only are we going to see a new Power Man and Iron Fist mini from Fred Van Lente come December, but we're also going to see a Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning penned Heroes for Hire ongoing, featuring Iron Fist as well as Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, Elektra, The Punisher, Falcon, Misty Knight and Paladin (although the last three are missing from this preview image). All in all December is going to be a good month for Danny Rand, who is (have I mentioned?) one of my favorite comics characters.
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