Review - E.V.I.L. Heroes #1 (@Zenscope)


"Hey mom, look...is that a bird? Or a plane?"

Superheroes typically use their power for good. When they don't, they're referred to as supervillains. What it is that requires them to do good things is largely because of society projection expectations on them. They don't always like those terms though and Zenescope explores that notion in E.V.I.L. Heroes #1. The issue is written by Joe Brusha, illustrated by Eric J and Cristhian "Crizam" Zamora, colored by Marco Lesko and lettered by Matt Krotzer.

With great power...comes great corruption. Superheroes are real. They walk the earth as gods among men. But the fairy tales of them protecting mankind and being heroes were all lies. Humans have become their slaves, fit only to serve their super powered masters. But in man the nature of the true hero still survives...and one group rises up to challenge their self-appointed masters. Can they hope to succeed or will their opposition only push mankind closer to extinction?

Brusha's script explores the notion that superheroes may not always live up to the expectations society foists upon them. In that regard, E.V.I.L. Heroes #1 succeeds in that it offers characters who do just that--eschew their responsibilities in favor of doing whatever feels good and flaunting their abilities. Fans of DC's Flashpoint (or Justice League in general) though will notice more than a few similarities in the characters here as Brusha leans on the former for more than just inspiration. Sure, there's a lot of automatic personality establishing by using characters similar to DC's, but Brusha's take feels more than just as if it's paying homage to them. There are different motivations between the two properties and Brusha does a good job of making E.V.I.L. Heroes #1 stand on its own merits.

J and Zamora show their inspiration for the characters very plainly with the first three or so characters who show up on page. The duo do a good job from an artistic standpoint in that the characters are illustrated very cleanly and contrast with the humans of the city well. The art renders the destruction of the city at the hands of the evil heroes very well, demonstrating an attention to intricate detail that comes with building destruction. Panel layout offers some good establishing shots that build up the mythos around the superheroes as they mingle with humanity. Lesko's colors make the characters stand out even more as well, furthering the dichotomy between superhero and human.

E.V.I.L. Heroes #1 is an interesting take on an established premise of superheroes and their interactions with lesser powered individuals. The main characters in the book are content with doing whatever they enjoy doing just because their powers give them the leeway to do so and it remains to be seen whether or not they can be stopped. Brusha's script is pretty straightforward and sets up the superhero side of things. The artwork is pretty solid and effectively captures the carnage. E.V.I.L. Heroes #1 is an interesting issue that demonstrates

E.V.I.L. Heroes #1 is in stores now.

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