World Famous Comics: Heroes For Hire Vol. 2: Ahead of the Curve (Marvel Comics, New Avengers)
Heroes For Hire Vol. 2: Ahead of the Curve (Marvel Comics, New Avengers)
By: Zeb Wells Publisher: Marvel Comics Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Marvel Comics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 120 Publication Date: September 19, 2007
Product Description: Marvels strangest team of heroes find themselves trapped in the hull of a ship with a bomb as the Grim Reaper plans to blow up the Statue of Liberty and take the Heroes for Hire with it! But why? What nefarious plan could he have up his sleeve? He's evil so does it matter? He has to be stopped! Also, someone dies! No kidding. As if that wasn't enough, here comes the return of villains no one asked for! The Horrific Headmen have a special surprise for the hapless Humbug! Collects Heroes For Hire #6-10.
Not what it should be Being an avid collector I had bought all of Marvel's Civil War Series (including Heroes for Hire Vol. 1). Then I went and got all the World War Hulk tie-ins (including HFH Vol. 3).
After being more than a bit confused by the 3rd volume, I thought I should read this one to see if I could make sense of the story line, which I did.
My opinion? Let me share my opinion of the series as a whole;
First, imagine one of those old grindhouse movies from the 70's with lots of sex and violence... OK?
Now imagine it toned down for a network TV audience. Cut out all the nudity and gore but leave just enough hints so that the viewers know what they're missing.
That's how I see Heroes for Hire - an exploitation comic (mis)directed at teenagers.
This series could be a LOT better if it were uncensored and marketed to a mature audience, but as it it stands now it just seems like a desperate attempt to cash in on the Big Marvel Universe Event Of The Year (twice!).
Hey, Marvel, I buy your stuff anyway. Let me get your products 'cus they're appealing, not just to complete a set!
Bottom line - buy it only if you must complete the (sub)set, otherwise forget it. And not that it's bad, it's just not all it that it could have been.
Slowly but surely, this series is improving... Heroes for Hire Vol. 2: Ahead of the Curve is a fun read - not spectacular, but a good enough time. After the first volume, I was prepared to write this series off, but as this newest volume shows, there is some potential here - although this series still has a long way to go. Fans wondering if they should even bother with this second volume after the lackluster Vol. 1 should certainly give this one a shot - it does get better.
Strapped for cash and in a new headquarters, the Heroes for Hire take a job from a kid (who pays with change in a jar) to find his pet robot, who has been stolen by supervillains; at the same time, the group takes on a job from a local organized crime enforcer to determine who is souring the diamond trade in the neighborhood. However, the group soon finds that the two cases are interconnected, and involve not only the Grim Reaper and his henchmen, but also the wacky villains The Headmen and a lost Doombot. However, the case ends in tragedy for the Heroes, though in the end they do get their men. Following this case, our heroes are hired by the government, along with the ne'er-do-well, double-crossing mercenary Paladin, to capture a pre-human hominid on the Savage Land - leading to prehistoric hijincks, and a new destiny for Humbug in the process. All the while, Shang-Chi continues his downward spiral as his mighty calm begins to crack, and his relationship with the lovely, homicidal Tarantula heats up.
First, the good: the art in this volume is spectacular. While Vol. 1 featured some passable pencils, Vol. 2 kicks off with 3 chapters of art from the legendary Al Rio, who is a master of drawing both comic book action and superheroines; Rio lends exceptionally vibrant life to every character he draws, and his artistry cannot be overestimated - you'll end up pouring over his sections of the volume for hours, wondering just how the heck he does it. In the final two chapters, the pencils are handled by Clay Mann, who has a kinetic, hip style reminiscent of some of the grittier anime sequences in the Animatrix or Afro Samurai; his expressionistic renditions of the characters are a lot of fun, and very well done. Another good thing about this volume - the entrance of Zeb Wells as writer. He writes the final three chapters, and you sense a change in style and flair immediately - he manages to make the action in the Savage Land actually menacing, and lends a good amount of drama to the proceedings.
Now, the bad - Unfortunately, the writing of the first two chapters (handled by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray) lacks any kind of punch; the try a lot of hip, quirky-type jokes that just plain fall flat, and the dialogue comes off as stilted. It's unfortunate, as this is a great series with a lot of potential. However, the writing in the final three chapters makes up for it, and I'm looking forward to Vol. 3. For fans who are wondering if, after the below-average first volume, if this comic is still worth their time, I'd say yes, for now. We'll see what happens in Vol. 3...
Anything Goes Trivia
Last Kiss
Megaton Man
Trevor
