Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Paybacks #1
Dark Horse Comics
Cates, Rahal, Shaw & Affe
"Paybacks" is a satire comic that doesn't quite cross over the line to the point where it can't be taken seriously. The premise is there is a group of costumed characters that run around repossessing gadgets from others that are super heroes that have defaulted on their loans. The comic relies heavily on making fun of Batman, but has enough uniqueness to it to provide a good twist on the idea. The comic is not a tame one as there are plenty of bloody images. The artwork is very good, which helps to create this little universe in a short amount of pages. Overall, this comic is something different and a good read. I recommend checking this out.
The Batman knockoff, Night Knight, is on the verge of default. While in the middle of a criminal take down he rushes back to his cave to fend off the repo team. The Batman satire wears thin very quickly but it continues on for some pages. Some of it is definitely amusing, but the charm of it is that he has a unicorn that talks to him and other nuisances that have little to do with Batman.
Eventually, Night Knight, stumbles upon the magic van that supports the repo man. This all ties together with a second repo team that is trying to take on another character, but the results turn deadly.
The comic book is a lot of fun. The premise is sound, but fresh. The world-building is done with efficiency. The action is heavy and the stakes seem high. The imagination also pushes things a little further with things like the magic van, for example. The book is an entertaining read with promise for the future.
As mentioned, the satire is a fine line. Years ago, Garth Ennis wrote a super-hero satire, called The Boys, that scared off a lot of readers because it was too over-the-top to be taken seriously for the story he was trying to tell. Its one thing to poke fun at DC and Marvel but it is another to construct a book around them. This comic is balanced so far.
The artwork is extremely good. The book has a ton of detail. On the pages that are bloody, the artwork really comes into its own. The comic book has a nice color palette as well, which works well with some of the more psychedelic images. Overall, the artwork is a very good vehicle to deliver this story.
"Paybacks" is about a repo team that takes back property from would-be-heroes that don't pay their bills. The first issue has two repo teams. One hunts down a Batman knock-off while the other comes into a very deadly confrontation. The comic book is an entertaining read with a good high concept. The artwork is very good as it is detailed and imaginative. Overall, this is a very good comic book and one to keep your eye on.
4.5 out of 5 Geek Goggles
