“Yesterday’s” Comic> Hypergirl #1

“Okay, that last burrito was a mistake.”

Hypergirl #1

Markosia Enterprises (2011)

“The Rise Of Pharaonicus”

WRITER/COLORIST/LETTERER: Ian Sharman

ARTIST: David Wynne

COVER ART: Azim Akberali

The map says “Watersvale”, but with all the supers and other creatures running around the residents call it “Weirdsville”. This includes foster child and teenager Charley Matthews. In and out of foster homes and not feeling like a fit for this city, Charley gets dragged into the madness when she finds the dying Doc Hyperpower, who bonds his suit to her so she can stop Pharaonicus, who has stolen a magic amulet from the museum. Even Black Rat, another of the city’s many heroes, wants her to take up the mantle she dubbed “Hypergirl” but she doesn’t think she’s a hero any more than she feels like she belongs anywhere. With the other heroes gone and Pharaonicus turning people into his animal minions, Charley realizes she’s needed, and defeats the villain. Does Weirdsville have a new hero?

What they got right: I like the concept. A teen who is forced to take on a hero identity because she was there. An actual hero journey of refusing the call until her conscience gets the better of her. We get a good explanation of just how the Hyperpower Suit works, which is an okay design.

What they got wrong: Unfortunately there isn’t a lot of time to process everything. She’s in the museum for a few panels with some other kid who is an ubergeek and loves this stuff (I hate his “you just lost the game” shirt–BURN IT!), then she walks away and finds the dying hero, then she gets the suit and immediately calls herself Hypergirl…everything just happens too fast to really get into the story.

What I think overall: It’s a good idea but the execution needed work, and maybe a second comic. Maybe have the entire first issue in the museum and maybe meeting Black Rat, then do the next issue where he tries to recruit her after her admittedly too easy victor, and her first showdown with Pharaonicus. This gives her more time to establish how her history as a foster child clouds her view of herself and the city, the refusal of the call to action despite saving the day on instinct before the first encounter with the main villain and losing, having her come up victorious in the next fight having learned something about herself and her suit along the way that gets expanded on in future stories. As a result of what we get here it’s tough to really get into the comic’s world, and thus the comic itself. I want to like it, but it needed another draft.