In late-December I found myself looking through a stack of comics for a title I hadn't tried before. I wanted something new and I was craving a classic superhero story. I found one that satisfied that craving and, five issues later, left me wanting more. Enter The Honor Brigade by Tom Stillwell (story), Bradley Bowers (art, lettering #1-2, color), Dave Rothe (lettering #3-6) and Spinner Rack Comics.
How did I come across the title? Just a few weeks earlier, I had the pleasure of meeting series writer Tom Stillwell at Mid-Ohio-Con in Columbus, Ohio. During that con, I purchased the first five issues of his series and, now that I've read it, I'm glad I did.
Being completely honest, it was the covers (which are interspersed throughout this review) that sat me down and drove me to read this series ahead of a host of others. Each cover features a different character from the series. In some way they reminded me of the Watchmen covers only here the imagery just seemed more upbeat and fun as the look catches the eye and pops off the page with color and detail. So much so that out of a stack of roughly 40 different titles, these five books had me reaching for the read.
As I opened and thumbed through issue one before reading it, I was greeted by Bradley Bowers art for the first time. At first glance I wondered about the style just a little. As soon as I matched up the art with the story, I quickly dismissed any concerns as I noticed the quality presented in each page. The characters are classically drawn and the level of the work, especially in the minute character expression and detail, is absolutely solid. Bradley clearly has a great future ahead of him.
Writer Tom Stillwell starts the story of Honor Brigade on a solid note by leading with a strong character. Right off the bat we're introduced to Toyboy (pictured right), a character which is immediately likable, full of humor and adds a quick bit of depth to the story. As his name would imply, he's a toy laden comedic hero that, at first, comes off more as a villain than a saint. Through the story, you slowly see the hero behind the mirth and that reveal makes for a fun ride. Also, his string of one liners and prank styled humor is both well written and comical.
In this series, you're taking part in the journey of a superhero team that's meeting for the first time and just starting to come together. If you're looking for detail on who the Honor Brigade actually are, you won't get a quick answer and that really isn't the point. In this story, the original Honor Brigade is a legacy team that has had it's time in the sun, disbanded and moved on. This mini is the story of a "next generation" of heroes who, I presume, will take on their predecessor's name. That said, even as the mini-series moves toward its close that fact remains to be seen.
Alongside Toyboy we meet his wheelchair bound brother Kevin and learn of the penance Toyboy is paying for his brother's disability. There's a down on his luck security guard named Joe Irvin who dies, merges his spirit with a teenager and becomes the avenging Dead Eye. The plot is complicated by hints at the origin of the established hero, Lightning Rod, and a beautiful test-tube lady who tosses around lightning and proves a bit short on life experience. There's the parental Living Log who was a member of the original Honor Brigade and proves an instant classic character. There's Slam, a father trying to come to grips with his powers and take care of his son. There's also the eagle eye reporter Samantha Shelby, the maniacal Adrian Conroy (pictured below facing off with Lightning Rod) of Plus-Co and his space faring brother Marlon (aka The Suit pictured above right). Add to that all the members of the original Honor Brigade and the much newer "imposter" Brigade and there's a lot in motion in these first five issues!
I honestly like that this series has a lot of characters. To present this many new faces this quickly is a solid narrative feat that Stillwell pulls off quite well. In only five issues, the series feels like it exists in a cohesive superhero universe and proves fleshed out and thought out. It doesn't come across as forced and the characters are given room to grow while presenting clear and often interesting personality quirks. One overriding fact of the narrative is the consistent beat of humor. Thanks in part to Toyboy and in part to the writing, humor is always present and gives the story the steady back beat it needs to stay fun and fresh while advancing the story.
Honor Brigade is Spinner Rack Comics first title and I think the company has really pulled off what it wanted to achieve with the series. When I started reading the it, I had no idea it was created as an all-ages title. Clearly it felt full of good clean fun, but it didn't have that "kid book" feel I associate with so many titles targeted to a younger audience.
Once I started exploring the Spinner Rack Comics website, I understood why it didn't feel traditionally all ages. Their goal is to produce a "fun superhero comics readers of all ages could enjoy". The site goes on to explain that they're not really trying to make young kid comics or adult comics. They're looking to create comics that fall somewhere in between the two. They did just that with Honor Brigade.
The title has that classic superhero team book feel that is often lost in today's grim and gritty comic market. A fine series in the spirit of the JSA and Astro City, Honor Brigade wasn't just a fun and satisfying read, it was a refreshing one. I was reminded of what I would like to see more of in comics and this is a title I would be proud to share with someone just entering comics or an established reader. This is one I can honestly say you should be reading.
You can read more about Honor Brigade by visiting the title's official site located at www.spinnerrackcomics.com. The last issue in the Honor Unbound mini-series can be ordered through your comic shop in December's Previews using the DEC073882 HONOR BRIGADE #6 order code. You can also check out an exclusive Comic Related preview of issue #6 here.
Living Log in action against the evil henchmen of Plus-Co
In late-December I found myself looking through a stack of comics for a title I hadn't tried before. I wanted something new and I was craving a classic superhero story. I found one that satisfied that craving and, five issues later, left me wanting more. Enter The Honor Brigade by Tom Stillwell (story), Bradley Bowers (art, lettering #1-2, color), Dave Rothe (lettering #3-6) and Spinner Rack Comics.
Being completely honest, it was the covers (which are interspersed throughout this review) that sat me down and drove me to read this series ahead of a host of others. Each cover features a different character from the series. In some way they reminded me of the Watchmen covers only here the imagery just seemed more upbeat and fun as the look catches the eye and pops off the page with color and detail. So much so that out of a stack of roughly 40 different titles, these five books had me reaching for the read. 
As I opened and thumbed through issue one before reading it, I was greeted by Bradley Bowers art for the first time. At first glance I wondered about the style just a little. As soon as I matched up the art with the story, I quickly dismissed any concerns as I noticed the quality presented in each page. The characters are classically drawn and the level of the work, especially in the minute character expression and detail, is absolutely solid. Bradley clearly has a great future ahead of him. 
In this series, you're taking part in the journey of a superhero team that's meeting for the first time and just starting to come together. If you're looking for detail on who the Honor Brigade actually are, you won't get a quick answer and that really isn't the point. In this story, the original Honor Brigade is a legacy team that has had it's time in the sun, disbanded and moved on. This mini is the story of a "next generation" of heroes who, I presume, will take on their predecessor's name. That said, even as the mini-series moves toward its close that fact remains to be seen. 
Alongside Toyboy we meet his wheelchair bound brother Kevin and learn of the penance Toyboy is paying for his brother's disability. There's a down on his luck security guard named Joe Irvin who dies, merges his spirit with a teenager and becomes the avenging Dead Eye. The plot is complicated by hints at the origin of the established hero, Lightning Rod, and a beautiful test-tube lady who tosses around lightning and proves a bit short on life experience. There's the parental Living Log who was a member of the original Honor Brigade and proves an instant classic character. There's Slam, a father trying to come to grips with his powers and take care of his son. There's also the eagle eye reporter Samantha Shelby, the maniacal Adrian Conroy (pictured below facing off with Lightning Rod) of Plus-Co and his space faring brother Marlon (aka The Suit pictured above right). Add to that all the members of the original Honor Brigade and the much newer "imposter" Brigade and there's a lot in motion in these first five issues! 
I honestly like that this series has a lot of characters. To present this many new faces this quickly is a solid narrative feat that Stillwell pulls off quite well. In only five issues, the series feels like it exists in a cohesive superhero universe and proves fleshed out and thought out. It doesn't come across as forced and the characters are given room to grow while presenting clear and often interesting personality quirks. One overriding fact of the narrative is the consistent beat of humor. Thanks in part to Toyboy and in part to the writing, humor is always present and gives the story the steady back beat it needs to stay fun and fresh while advancing the story. 
Honor Brigade is Spinner Rack Comics first title and I think the company has really pulled off what it wanted to achieve with the series. When I started reading the it, I had no idea it was created as an all-ages title. Clearly it felt full of good clean fun, but it didn't have that "kid book" feel I associate with so many titles targeted to a younger audience. 
Once I started exploring the Spinner Rack Comics website, I understood why it didn't feel traditionally all ages. Their goal is to produce a "fun superhero comics readers of all ages could enjoy". The site goes on to explain that they're not really trying to make young kid comics or adult comics. They're looking to create comics that fall somewhere in between the two. They did just that with Honor Brigade. 