Hey there, people, how are you liking the 4CR Comic-Con coverage? Me personally, this stuff is almost like being there (except without the horrible mix of pungent BO and stale fast food.) But it felt like I was missing something. And then I realized what it was: the daily postings of Da Trades. It must?ve been the high of seeing my name on top of the 4CR marquee. Or it must?ve been the lack of sleep. Who knows? Anyway, here?s this week?s offering; earlier than even I expected. And just like that, Da Trades are back, baby!

Hench GN (AiT/Planet LAR; Graphic Novel; B&W)
Creators: Adam Beechen & Manny Bello

Mike Fulton is just trying to get by. Working a menial job just doesn?t give him the rush he was used get when he was a college football star before the accident. Now, he?s married, his son is sick and he needs money fast. What does he do? The only thing (other than creating an internet search engine that sports an IPO of $130) is to become a henchman for the local supervillains. As long as he doesn?t get caught, he?s golden. But we all know what happens to henchmen, right?

Beechen does a great job of setting up Fulton?s character by showing his slow descension from responsible, law abiding citizen into one of the faceless minions of expendable working stiffs. But Beechen doesn?t allow Fulton to totally lose himself in the criminal world; stopping him just short of a Mark Millar-style meltdown. Also, the use of a first person narrative works better in this type of book rather than a more traditional third person.

Bello?s art doesn?t have a ultra-polished look (unlike its traditional 4-color world counterpart) and that seems intended as it?s part of the beauty of the book since the style implies how the grimy and sketchy the world of supervillains can be. Bello, as a story teller, is funny and sly as he drops many a homage to other very famous superhero covers with Fulton and his brothers-in-arms as part of the background. The juxtaposition of scrambling criminals running for cover as the superhero arrives is quite funny (I dare you to see them and try not at least knowingly smirk at the redone classics). Fans of Sleeper, Gotham Central, and Powers will really dig this one.

Extras: Eight pages of sketches and unused panels. And the $12.99 price tag is very nice, indeed.

Highly Recommended

Britt Schramm reviews trades and graphic novels at 4CR. He also has a bi-weekly column about comics called Preachin’ From The Longbox at Moviepoopshoot.com

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