“Yesterday’s” Comic> Hero 9 To 5 #1

Maybe one of them know who Nightwatcher and Nate Morgan are?

Hero 9 To 5 #1

AAM/Markosia (2010)

WRITER: Ian Sharman

ARTIST: David Gray

COLORIST: Yel Zamor

In this version of England superheroes are paid employees of insurance group POW, or if you can’t afford insurance you get the government organization Heroes 4 Zeroes. Unfortunately for fire-based superhero Flame-O it’s the latter and he’s not happy about it. His boss is a putz and he’s kind of a screw-up, but it pays the bills. He’s also not happy about fighting Frostica, a woman with ice powers who only robbed a pawn shop to beat the snot out of the snobs at POW, and unlike the comic I’m censoring what they really are. Feeling sorry for the girl he was forced to bring down and still unhappy with his job, he goes on a date with her.

What they got right: The premise of the comic is easy to follow. You have government insurance but if you have money you get the top tier heroes. Both groups have their jerks but the top tier are bigger jerks who look down on the government heroes. The story is also easy to follow and you do feel sorry for poor Flame-O and his current station in life.

What they got wrong: Maybe it’s on me as an American but I didn’t find what little humor there was funny. Apparently they can recognize each other, making the masks useless. The names are also lame. I know superhero names are hard given how many superhero stories exist between comics, TV, movies, and other media, but some of these, including the main character and the Batman ripoff “The Loner”, are really weak.

What I think overall: This was not a particularly interesting comic for me. It’s not one I’d continue reading. I can follow the story but I didn’t enjoy it.