The title of a series can sometimes make or break it. If the book isn’t a success then the title can leave the book open for jokes and witty one-liners. With a title like Posers things could have turned sour quick, but instead this book is anything but a poser. Not only was I surprised by this issue, I was impressed. If you’re heading to NYCC this year then you need to get the book before as it will be premiering there. The book is split up into two stories. The first story follows Chad Spencer as he’s just been hired to be on the Intergalactic Champion Squad. He’s a freelance hero that’s never quite made the cut when auditioning for other teams, but finally has his chance to be a real hero. He pulls up to the ICS’s headquarters while talking to his mom on the phone. She has doubts about the entire situation and feels that it’s a ploy to steal his identity. From there we’re taken to the current ICS team on a mission in space fighting against some alien’s that have organized to take over our world. They’re goal is to kill the leader of the civilization and let them fall into chaos as the generals of his armies fight over the position.
The second story follows a woman addicted to violence. I would love nothing more than to tell you a blurb about her origin, but the narration was so awesome that you’ll need to read it for yourself. The woman goes by the name “Slugger” since she usually carries around two baseball bats to beat the shit out of everyone with. She has a strong distaste for men and has decided to take on a crime boss that has made his fortune selling woman and children. Because this is a solo mission she follows her own rules; which means murder is on the table tonight.
The writing for both stories was very good and each had a different flare to it. The first story was very serious, but had some light-hearted humor. The space battle was actually very cool, but what was better are the details that I’m not telling you. The catch of the story is very interesting and I cannot wait to see where it goes from this issue. The second story was violent and action packed. The narration was very strong and it was more entertaining than anything else. There were some real layers to the character though so I can see there being a balance between no-nonsense action and character development further on.
Once again the art for both stories was very strong and this time from two different artists. They’re different styles so I wouldn’t compare them, but both certainly work for their individual tale. Both art styles are very realistic and have a gritty style to them giving the book a consistent feel. In the second tale there is a lot of variety in the action shots and some of them are interesting while others don’t work out as well. In general though, both artists have talent and it will be interesting to see them grow on the series.
This issue does a great job of creating a reason for the reader to come back to it. Both stories in a way tie together and really it’s going to be fun to see how the end up working together. The simple fact that the twist from the first story being so different and creative makes me curious to read more; I cannot recommend checking out the book enough. A lot of new companies like to come running out of the gate with their entire concept laid out in front of you, but with this series it's quite different. They give you a glimpse at what to expect, but have left it open so much that you have no way of guess the conclusion making you want to come back for more. It worked, I want more.
Score: 5/5
Writer: John Pross Aritst: Federico Zumel, Jimbo Salgado Publisher: Pross Comics Price: $3.99