Stephanie Kay
Oct 13, 2007, 10:36 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=10258"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/marvel/hfhv2-04t.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Heroes For Hire (2nd series) #4"></a>Reviewer: Andrew Jastrzembski, adjastrzem@msn.com
It is time to puff up your Afro puff and get ready to rumble
Writer: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Penciler: Francis Portela & Billy Tucci
Inker: Tom Palmer & Terry Pallot
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letters: Artmonkeys’ Dave Lanphear
Cover: Billy Tucci & Mark Sparacio
Production: Brad Johansen
Assistant Editors: Nathan Cosby
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published by: Marvel Comics (www.marvel.com)
Daughters of the Dragon was one of my favorite min-series of this past year. It had everything needed to attract me. There are two hot chicks beating down bad guys. It had a unique angle, two bondswomen trying to make a living in NYC and an interesting plot, and to cap it all off, it had a nice balance of action and humor with a splash of ghetto fabulousness to make it sparkle.
Colleen and Misty now have made it to the big time at Marvel with their very own monthly title written by the same crew from Daughters of the Dragon. The rough and tough bail bondswomen has transformed into the new incarnation of the teambook Heroes For Hire during all this Civil War hoopla. They have registered with the government and put together a new team including a few characters from the Daughters of the Dragon mini, Humbug, Otis, and Orka, a few members from the Marvel Universe, Black Cat and Shang-Chi, and the obligatory mysterious new character, Tarantula.
The past few issues are arguably forgettable. The whole "Talk to Captain America” plotline was just a means to introduce the team and start the setup for the series. There were some good moments in the first three issues but for the most part I had to re-read them to just remember what exactly went on. Probably the absolute best thing to happen to this series happens in its short life happens in this issue. Heroes For Hire ditches the Civil War tie-in moniker. The shackles have been lifted and Gray and Palmiotti get down to business. First off, Heroes For Hire’s arch nemesis, the glamorous and psychotic Ricadonna, starts taking pot shots at the team. Amen for some girl-on-girl action.
At the end of last issue, Ricodonna blew up the Heroes for Hire headquarters with a mail bomb. She also manages to commit one of the worst crimes against humanity, blowing up a Chinese restaurant. A good portion of this issue takes a look at the hit man hired by Ricodonna to take out various team members. The writers use it to develop out some of the other members of the team. Readers find out that Humbug might be a little more dangerous, or crazy, than we all think and the Tarantula develops a little more depth. Shang-Chi gets some screen time as another third rate assign with some fabulous headgear tries and fails, but writers have yet to use him more then a stereotypical Zen-spouting Bruce Lee wannabe.
The best scenes, however, belong to Misty and Colleen. The chemistry between these “overtly sexual, scantily clad, adolescent male fantasy” ladies has not lost any of its humor or fun since their mini-series. I like the approach that Gray and Palmiotti have taken at depicting both Misty and Colleen. For lack of better phrases, they come off more as girls from the block than girls from the suburbs. These women make their living as bail bondswomen who just happen know other big time superheroes but do not run in the same circles all the time. Gray and Palmiotti understand that and depict them accordingly.
It is unfortunate that chemistry and character development for the rest of team lags. Heroes For Hire really could shine. First off, the entire team is made up of B- to Z-list characters from around the Marvel Universe, and with that comes the freedom to really have some fun. Gray and Palmiotti already have put together an odd ball group of superheroes who are willing to go after the super-powered trash that the big shots would not dare go near. Second, the writers have a knack for creating and exploring the even odder corners of the Marvel Universe. You do not have to look any further than the debut of the The Crib club in this issue. It is completely deranged, but for the Heroes for Hire, it is another day at the office.
Third, the artwork is solid. Portela and Tucci obviously love their work since each page is popping with women who are nearly popping out of their clothes. Seriously, there is not much to complain about the art. The backgrounds are richly detailed and the darker and muted colors compliment the art nicely and set a nice tone, but the artists really shine when it comes to the facial expressions. The attention given to the each character’s face really raises the bar of the art.
With all that, I sadly give this book maybe a year or two before cancellation, and that is a darn shame. The book definitely fills a nice niche. It is your classic superhero book with an urban flair and willingness to have fun as the poke around the underbelly of the superhuman world. There are a lot of good books on the shelf now and with more on the horizon, I just do not see a book that does not carry a big name in it surviving the long haul. Hopefully my predictions are wrong because this series is shaping up to be a lot fun.
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mfull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mfull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mfull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mhalf.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mnone.jpg
‘Buy this Heroes For Hire online now from X-WORLD and save!’ ( http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=2410&cat=HEROES+FOR+HIRE)
It is time to puff up your Afro puff and get ready to rumble
Writer: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Penciler: Francis Portela & Billy Tucci
Inker: Tom Palmer & Terry Pallot
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letters: Artmonkeys’ Dave Lanphear
Cover: Billy Tucci & Mark Sparacio
Production: Brad Johansen
Assistant Editors: Nathan Cosby
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published by: Marvel Comics (www.marvel.com)
Daughters of the Dragon was one of my favorite min-series of this past year. It had everything needed to attract me. There are two hot chicks beating down bad guys. It had a unique angle, two bondswomen trying to make a living in NYC and an interesting plot, and to cap it all off, it had a nice balance of action and humor with a splash of ghetto fabulousness to make it sparkle.
Colleen and Misty now have made it to the big time at Marvel with their very own monthly title written by the same crew from Daughters of the Dragon. The rough and tough bail bondswomen has transformed into the new incarnation of the teambook Heroes For Hire during all this Civil War hoopla. They have registered with the government and put together a new team including a few characters from the Daughters of the Dragon mini, Humbug, Otis, and Orka, a few members from the Marvel Universe, Black Cat and Shang-Chi, and the obligatory mysterious new character, Tarantula.
The past few issues are arguably forgettable. The whole "Talk to Captain America” plotline was just a means to introduce the team and start the setup for the series. There were some good moments in the first three issues but for the most part I had to re-read them to just remember what exactly went on. Probably the absolute best thing to happen to this series happens in its short life happens in this issue. Heroes For Hire ditches the Civil War tie-in moniker. The shackles have been lifted and Gray and Palmiotti get down to business. First off, Heroes For Hire’s arch nemesis, the glamorous and psychotic Ricadonna, starts taking pot shots at the team. Amen for some girl-on-girl action.
At the end of last issue, Ricodonna blew up the Heroes for Hire headquarters with a mail bomb. She also manages to commit one of the worst crimes against humanity, blowing up a Chinese restaurant. A good portion of this issue takes a look at the hit man hired by Ricodonna to take out various team members. The writers use it to develop out some of the other members of the team. Readers find out that Humbug might be a little more dangerous, or crazy, than we all think and the Tarantula develops a little more depth. Shang-Chi gets some screen time as another third rate assign with some fabulous headgear tries and fails, but writers have yet to use him more then a stereotypical Zen-spouting Bruce Lee wannabe.
The best scenes, however, belong to Misty and Colleen. The chemistry between these “overtly sexual, scantily clad, adolescent male fantasy” ladies has not lost any of its humor or fun since their mini-series. I like the approach that Gray and Palmiotti have taken at depicting both Misty and Colleen. For lack of better phrases, they come off more as girls from the block than girls from the suburbs. These women make their living as bail bondswomen who just happen know other big time superheroes but do not run in the same circles all the time. Gray and Palmiotti understand that and depict them accordingly.
It is unfortunate that chemistry and character development for the rest of team lags. Heroes For Hire really could shine. First off, the entire team is made up of B- to Z-list characters from around the Marvel Universe, and with that comes the freedom to really have some fun. Gray and Palmiotti already have put together an odd ball group of superheroes who are willing to go after the super-powered trash that the big shots would not dare go near. Second, the writers have a knack for creating and exploring the even odder corners of the Marvel Universe. You do not have to look any further than the debut of the The Crib club in this issue. It is completely deranged, but for the Heroes for Hire, it is another day at the office.
Third, the artwork is solid. Portela and Tucci obviously love their work since each page is popping with women who are nearly popping out of their clothes. Seriously, there is not much to complain about the art. The backgrounds are richly detailed and the darker and muted colors compliment the art nicely and set a nice tone, but the artists really shine when it comes to the facial expressions. The attention given to the each character’s face really raises the bar of the art.
With all that, I sadly give this book maybe a year or two before cancellation, and that is a darn shame. The book definitely fills a nice niche. It is your classic superhero book with an urban flair and willingness to have fun as the poke around the underbelly of the superhuman world. There are a lot of good books on the shelf now and with more on the horizon, I just do not see a book that does not carry a big name in it surviving the long haul. Hopefully my predictions are wrong because this series is shaping up to be a lot fun.
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mfull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mfull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mfull.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mhalf.jpghttp://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/mnone.jpg
‘Buy this Heroes For Hire online now from X-WORLD and save!’ ( http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=2410&cat=HEROES+FOR+HIRE)