Monthly Archives: May 2013

After thedebilitating attack on the U.S. infrastructure by Jackal, the nation is plunged into a technological, societal and literaldarkness. The Victoriesfrom Michael Avon Oeming is an ongoing series from Dark Horse Comics. Michael Avon Oeming is the co-creator of Powersand like Jimmie Robinson from Five Weapons, Michael is the writer, artist and cover artist of this series.

The Victories: Transhuman #1 does not require background knowledge of the previous Victories titles. The opening is simple: the world has been set back a hundred years to a time before electricity worked. In the darkness,super heroescontinue their fight for safety and villians try to gain what little wealth there still might be. Its a dark world, and not just because all the lights are out. Its not even thesupervillainsthat make it dark, but a general weightiness to theme of The Victories.

One pervasive theme is the perception of image. Whether it be how someone views another or self-image, its clear is is not a Sunday morning comic for simple reading. The Victoriesaddresses a number of topics that comic books either avoid or bury so deep within metaphors they can be lost. While the messages are clear, its a shame the story wasnt as straightforward.

Off for a morning run, over the river.

The story starts off with an open sequence, catching up to the current events and situation. The situation is the world is without power and all the things that a world in the dark bring with it. The Victories: Transhuman #1 immediately delve into the heady topics as it isarguedthat in the darkness is when humanitytrulycan shine. The dark and almost rough-style of artwork fits perfectly with these themes. Its a shame that even something as simple as who is speaking can be confusing. The transition from one internal dialogue speaker to another is hardlydelineated, to the point where slight re-coloring of thespeechbubbles can be missed for a pane or two.

The world-encompassing theme of darkness and humanity is voiced by the once-hero The Strike. Once a hero, hes now better suited to this worldwithoutlight,preferringthe shadows.The themes are not justintrospectiveon a humanity-level, but can delve down to the character level as well. The main superheroprotagonistof this issue is D.D. Mau, a super speed woman with a self-image issue. While shes fast, strong and near-invulnerable her powers come at the cost of a metabolism that requires her to constantly fight gaining excessive weight. Shes a foul-mouthed dirty-minded woman who has issues that would be more than most people could take; so its a good thing D.D. is a hero then. Shes not the only one with problems, but its the flawsthatmake the heros so great, so they wont be spoiled here.

Thats good, gloat about victory before you actually win smart.

While the story might be a bit confusing, it strangely works for The Victories. The themes of humanity and self deserve a closer look and its commendable that these issues are addressed in such a fashion. This is not for children, even without the foul language Michael Avon Oemings artistic workcontainssalacious images. If it werent for the emphatic and appropriate use of these images they might border on excessive. The Victories artwork, though rough and not the greatest of their style, does serve to reflect the nature of the comic in a way that adds value to a story. Its a style that would otherwise be unfavorable if not for the plot.

The action and superheroes will attract a certain crowd, even the frequent cursing and sexual images being unafraidto show skin will attract readers. Its a shame that the heavy subject matter and confusingstorylinewill probably turn a number of readers off toThe Victories: Transhuman #1. If you like colorful language with a side of action and sex, and want to maybe even walk away with a few introspective musings, then this is by far one of the mostintriguingcomics on the market today.

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The Victories: Transhuman #1: Review (Comic) | Front Towards Gamer

The Victories: Transhuman #1 Written by Michael Avon Oeming Illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming Colored by Nick Filardi Lettered by Aaron Walker Cover by Michael Avon Oeming and Nick Filardi Dark Horse Comics Release Date: May 1, 2013 Cover Price: $3.99

In early February, Geeks of Dooms very own Henchman21 covered the news that Michael Avon Oeming was working on an ongoing series for Dark Horse called The Victories, based on a superhero team he had created in 2012 for a mini-series of the same name. The article also includes an interview with Oeming conducted by Henchman21 giving us inside details about what to expect from the foul-mouthed heroes introduced the year prior. The Victories: Transhuman #1 is the first of a five-part storyline within the new series and its already shaping up to be a bold undertaking, fiercely dismantling the archetypal superhero conventions.

The power is out. Electricity has been turned off leaving the world in a perpetual state of darkness. As confusion and panic set in and villains become unsure of what else to do, they continue to rob banks in hopes that money will eventually have value again. Meanwhile, in an attempt to keep the peace and protect a fearful humanity during a time of uncertainty, a small group of superheroesSai Faustus, Lady Dragon, Sleeper, D.D. Mau, and their all-powerful leader, Metatronhave banded together to form a crime fighting team known as The Victories. Told from the perspective of D.D. Mau, we quickly learn that these are not your average superheroes; The Victories are crass, take-no-prisoners champions who are dealing with deeply rooted psychological and emotional issues that could literally make or break them. With other amassing threats on the rise, will the team be able to pull themselves together?

I am torn with this book. Oeming has created a compelling story with highly relatable and imperfect heroes and imaginative powers from both the good and bad guys. His art had me hooked as well. Bright colors for the heroes costumes blended excellently with dark shadows and gloomy colors to depict the contrast of hope and despair; however, there was way too much sexual innuendo and vulgarity for my liking. Im not saying that this was a deal breaker for me, but I did feel that it heavily distracted from the powerful story that I believe Oeming was trying to tell.

I really did enjoy the first issue of the The Victories ongoing series. I am definitely willing to give the second issue a chance. Perhaps if the story will be told from a different perspective in the next issue, it might not be as uncouth. I may not continue on with the series if this is not the case.

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Comic Review: The Victories: Transhuman #1 | Geeks of Doom