Sunday, January 18, 2009

Live Vicariously: No Hero #3


For most people, there is a certain appeal to the idea of being a hero. Super hero comics and films are so popular because people have always, going right back to the earliest myths and shared tales, loved tales of larger-than-life heroes. Not only are heroic tales exciting, they provide a certain degree of vicarious wish fulfillment. Who wouldn't love to be the hero? Who wouldn't like to fly around the world, saving the day and being generally awesome?? I bet I'm not the only one who tied a towel around my neck and pretended to fly around the yard as a kid. Being a hero just seems like a dream come true.
The idea behind Warren Ellis' latest series, No Hero, is to explore just how much you might want to be a hero. What would you do to have powers and become more than human? What price would you be willing to pay for that power? Would you kill for it? Would you die for it? Would you risk becoming something less than human? Just how far would you go?
You'll begin to get a feel for the price of power in No Hero, by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp, from Avatar Press. In 1966, counter-culture chemist Carrick Masterson creates a drug called FX7 that makes ordinary people into "new humans," men and women with the power to keep the world safe. They call themselves the Levellers, and they promptly set out to right all the wrongs of the world, weighing in on riots and racial injustice. In 1977, they re-brand themselves as The Front Line, positioning themselves as the "front line against hate."
In the present day, with decades of super-heroing behind them, it is no surprise that Masterson's heroes have pissed off a lot of people. They have enemies all over the world, and one (or more) of those enemies has decided to bring the fight to them. Though Masterson's heroes are tough, they can be killed. One way to take them out is with a horrible goo called Disgel. It can literally melt the flesh off of a human body in seconds, even a super-human body. Unfortunately, someone has gotten their hands on some Disgel, and has a pretty good idea how to use it. No Hero #3 also demonstrates, with help from Ryp's insanely detailed and freaky art, just how bad a trip FX7 can be. I think I would totally stick to wearing a homemade cape and pretending to be a super hero.
The question for you is: how much do you want this comic? Luckily, you don't have to take a horribly dangerous drug that may or may not kill you, or leave you with serious mental damage. You don't have to risk mind and body in a terrible gamble. All you have to do is come to Four Color Fantasies this week and buy No Hero #3. You don't even have to risk your money, because this comic is guaranteed! Enjoy it risk free, and get your super-human thrills vicariously!

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