“How can I NOT see my house from here?”
Greatest American Hero #1 (Free Comic Book Day Edition)
AMP Comics (May, 2026)
WRITER: Dan Handfield
ARTIST: Alper Gelçel
COLORIST: Faradilla Nurmaliza
COVER ART: David Mack
LETTERER: DC Hopkins
After many years, Ralph Hinkley returns to Earth. He tries to get in touch with his son (who disappeared after the pilot) but he’s become a con artist and single father. While his daughter is happy to finally meet her grandfather, Ralph’s ex-wife poisoned Kevin against his dad, and won’t listen when he tries to help. Ralph learns a new power with his suit, teleportation, that de-ages him for a couple of seconds when he uses it, which his granddaughter, Maya, thinks is cool. It’s only when Ralph saves Maya from nearly getting run over that Kevin’s willing to listen…just as Ralph passes out.
What they got right: Ralph’s son was written out after the pilot, so I’m against him being acknowledged, and I fully believe his mom twisted him against his father. As I recall she was kind of a bitch to begin with and the events of the pilot understandably didn’t make her very happy even if she was a decent person. We also learn Pam is the mayor of Los Angeles now. I really like Maya for the same reasons I liked Cassie in the first Ant-Man movie, and I hope they didn’t screw her up like they did Cassie. The mystery of why Ralph has a week to save “them” and from what is interesting.
What they got wrong: He’s spent all this time with the aliens and he still doesn’t know all his powers with the suit? Yes, he lost the instruction manual…twice. Controlling his powers and the writers coming up with new ones for the plot was one of the comedy parts of the show, but he gets brought here by them, so we can assume he’s been with them for some reason. You’d think they forget the manual and just show off his powers. Also, he’s never kneeled while holding his breath before with the suit on? Which does work under his clothes in the show. It’s just easier to fight in just the “red pajamas” as Bill Maxwell used to call them than his teacher outfit. Not particularly fond of the faces on the characters, either. I can’t pick out exactly why but Ralph especially looks terrible even when teleporting de-ages him.
What I think overall: I’m not sold on “let’s remember Ralph is a deadbeat dad” or having his son become a crook just because I’m sick of this nonsense with childhood heroes in modern stories in general. Maybe it’s going for a “reintroduce heroism” story, which I guess would be okay, but I’m not particularly drawn to this version. It’s the second attempt to bring the series to comics, and William Katt really wants this back in the world, but this didn’t really bring me in. I still have fond memories of the costume my mom made for me of the suit, which was pretty exact for iron-on felt on a sweatsuit with velcro belt and thin cape, so I have some extra expectations this issue didn’t really meet.
BW Media Spotlight 