Skyman, Vol. 1: The Right Stuff

The opening scene, where a former Skyman gets drunk and kills a bartender while spouting racist attacks on the president, suggests a new, modern kind of superhero comic, but the rest of this superhero revamp by Fialkov (The Bunker) follows a familiar pattern. The replacement Skyman, picked by the government, is an Air Force veteran who lost the use of his legs in a crash over Afghanistan. His white handler and trainer is resentful of losing his place in the program to a new black candidate, which has the potential to make for a fascinating take on the usual hero/sidekick relationship, but it all gets lost in standard bad-government conspiracy and exaggerated us vs. them battles. Instead of substantial characterization or exploration of how it would feel to put your life in the hands of a controller who hates what you stand for, there are plenty of fight and flight scenes and a guest appearance by Captain Midnight, another superhero from the past. Garcia’s (Bloodshot) art is similarly standard to the genre, with exciting action shots but a lack of detail in the quieter scenes. (Aug.)