Harbinger Renegade, Vol. 1: The Judgment of Solomon

The world of this enjoyable spin on superheroes seems familiar, with reluctant heroes and villains planning nefarious global designs, but there’s a dark little twist: while certain people have superpowers, those powers lie dormant until activated by a process that is highly unstable and dangerous. A shadowy cult led by a man named Solomon is locating impressionable kids with untapped powers and doing a lousy job switching them on, resulting in a trail of bodies. Knowledge of previous Harbinger adventures will help with some of the plot’s background, but this volume provides enough context for its narrative to mostly work on its own terms. Penciler Robertson (Transmetropolitan, The Boys) provides most of the interior art, which lacks some of the wit and energy of his earlier work. (Final art not seen by PW.) (May)