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Creator Owned Heroes #1
Publisher: Image Comics
Writers: Steve Niles, Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti
Artists: Kevin Mellon & Phil Noto
Cover: Phil Noto

Now, I don’t know if every issue of Creator Owned Heroes will be forty plus pages of awesome for $3.99, but this issue definitely set a great standard for the series. We get two separate creative teams supplying two very different stories, along with interviews and some insight from Gray, Niles, and Palmiotti.

The first story is American Muscle, brought to us by Niles and Mellon. We’re dropped right in the middle of a group trying to save one of their own in a world that’s pretty much gone to hell. Niles only gives a very brief hint as to the cause, since we spend a bit more time getting to know the characters. There’s also an unexpected cliff hanger that probably shows the ugliest pair of breasts in the history of comics. Mellon’s artwork was a bit hit and miss for my personal tastes. Though that double page spread of the famous Hollywood sign was one of the stronger parts along with the end.

Next up is Trigger Girl 6 from the writing team of Palmiotti and Gray, with Noto providing the visuals. Our introduction to Trigger Girl seems to move pretty fast, as she’s “born” then on her way to her first assassination attempt. Not much is revealed here, but one thing is for sure, the Trigger Girls are feared and well known. Which prompts the President to issue a kill order when this one is spotted outside of her target’s plane. Phil Noto’s artwork does well with moving the story and looks good in the process.

As enjoyable as each of these stories are, both seem a little too short when you consider the page count of this book. A bit more story for each wouldn’t have hurt, though the fact that they both leave you wanting more is a very good thing. There’s just something about a well done creator owned story that excels above a lot of the mainstreme titles out there. So, hopefully as both of these stories continue and develop, they live up to that expectation. If you haven’t had the chance to pick up this issue, you should seriously consider doing so.

Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net