Friday, August 08, 2008

Marvel's unique angle: True Believers #1


In the modern Marvel Universe, vigilante heroes who operate without express permission from Tony Stark are very much frowned upon. The whole idea of taking the law into your own hands, as most heroes of yore did, is enough to get you whisked away to an "undisclosed location" in the Negative Zone. But can S.H.I.E.L.D., the government, or "the Man" really be trusted to do what needs to be done? Can they be trusted to hold all the cards, keeping the public safe and informed?

Probably not. That's where the True Believers come in! This mini-series, by Cary Bates and Paul Gulacy, introduces a team who are not only about protecting the public, but also keeping them informed. The True Believers round up the bad guys, and keep the people informed with an untraceable, unhackable website. They expose corrupt government and corporate figures, they even expose the secrets of Super Heroes gone wrong. No secret is safe from the True Believers. As their motto, a quote from George Orwell, says, "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes an act of rebellion." (See what you can learn from the classics? When you finish your comics, go read 1984.)

In the first issue, the team infiltrates an underground hooker fight club, where the kidnapped ladies are fired up with Mutant Growth Hormone and LSD and forced to bash away at each other for the amusement of a bunch of rich, old guys. Rich, old guys dressed up as Super Heroes, that is. Once the True Believers put a stop to their fun, they post the story, with loads of video evidence, to their website and the media takes things from there. They expose corruption and lies wherever they find them, and the authorities have no idea how to find them or stop them. They operate under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s nose, and they don't hesitate to go after big targets. Including a very high-profile, much loved, hero...

Cary Bates story is filled with unexpected twists and turns. The central idea, of rebelling to get the truth to the people, obviously has some connections to real world current events, while also looking at Marvel's heroes from a slighty different angle. Gulacy's art does a great job of capturing the "espionage thriller" feel of the story, and making the super hero elements seem real and believable. Plus, he draws a naked lady, covered in swirly energy stuff, kicking a wrinkled, old, senator, dressed in a Hulk suit, in the face. That's something you don't see every day.

If you want to know the truth, you need to read True Believers! The first issue is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week, so what are you waiting for? Someone to hack into your computer and reveal your most shocking secrets to the world? If you don't want that to happen, and I don't think you do, then you better read this book.

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