Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Project Superpowers #0
Dynamite Comics
Ross, Krueger, Klauba & Sadowski

It’s rare that I purchase a comic on a whim. Usually, I read the solicitations ahead of time and have an idea of what the story is about. All I knew about this story going in was that these were heroes I have never heard of from the 1940s. I planned to get the first issue to check it out. When I picked it up and leafed through it I was blown away. I bought for the low cover price of $1 with a full story and some mini-bios in the back. Before I read the first page I already felt like I was a winner in some great coup.

The issue begins with an old man, talking to a flag. Sounds dumb, but the flag is sort of like an invisible man wearing a flag, named American Spirit. I am guessing he is a hero. The old man, turns out to be the Fighting Yank, a hero from World War II.

Before I go any further I want to point out that both costumes have the American flag on them. Both flags are the World War II 48 star versions of the flag. This attention to detail wins brownie points.

Old man Yank begins to think back to the World War II battles. What we see are a large amount of costumes. Some have bigger voices then others, like the Green Llama. The basic plot is that the Fighting Yank tries to convince the others that there is an evil that is the source of the Nazi’s power and it originates from Pandora’s Box. The Fighting Yank wants the others to help him cancel out the evil in the Box by sacrificing themselves into the Box. It’s a mix of Indiana Jones and capes really.

Eventually Yank and his buddies all go to battle and the issue of the Pandora’s Box looms. The Fighting Yank does a bad thing by tricking some of his friends into the box. It chases away evil for the time being. The others just think the heroes died in battle and didn’t leave behind their bodies.

Now, the Fighting Yank is old and haunted by his forefather as well as the American Spirit. Determined to set things right, he sets out to find the Green Llama to admit that he tricked some of the heroes into the Box.

This issue has a lot of interesting things going on in it. For one, the array of characters is very impressive. There is a ton to explore with them and I base that on their outfits and their allegiances as well as their attitudes. Secondly, the ones that have the larger roles project a level of complexity in their personalities that seems interesting. Lastly, the plot is cool because it has elements of history, and yet different because it uses mystical elements rather than some super powered bad guys fighting on the side of the Nazis. Also, when you attach Alex Ross to the credits you know you are getting outstanding artwork and this issue doesn’t deviate from that notion.

Obviously this issue just sets things up, so a lot more is to come, but this issue is very entertaining and has layers to it worth exploring. Even though I have no idea who these characters are or what their weakness or powers are I am heavily engaged in what they do. For example, the Fighting Yank gets shot a few times in one panel and rather than just dismissing it, I actually want to know if he is wearing armor or if he is invulnerable, etc. I find myself curious while reading this.

After one issue I feel I know the Fighting Yank and the American Spirit a little bit, now I look forward to knowing the Green Llama a little and the other two more. I liked this issue a lot and at $1 it is a low risk. Definitely worth picking up.

3.5 out of 5 geek goggles.