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Heroes For Hire #1
Publisher: Marvel
Writer(s): Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Artist: Brad Walker
Cover: Brad Walker

“Are You For Hire”: If you thought Abnett and Lanning could only work their magic with Marvel’s cosmic heroes, then you, my friend, are sadly mistaken. They’ve taken a title that has seen more lows than highs, tweaked the concept a bit, and so far Heroes For Hire has been a hit! The first issue introduces us to Misty Knight’s new role as “Control,” and she’s determined to get a new Atlantean drug off the streets and calls in a few favors to help get the job done. Each hero is assigned a specific task that helps move the mission along, and with appearances from Elektra, Falcon, Moon Knight, and Black Widow, it’s pretty evident that someone will be getting their ass kicked. However, towards the end of the issue things start to take an unexpected turn, and we get to see who’s really in “control” of Misty’s operation.

Many assumed that the title would devolve into a mash-up of various street level characters without direction. Abnett and Lanning make it very clear that that is not the case, as each character is chosen for a specific duty that leans more towards their specialties. For instance, Misty needed someone taken care of permanently and called on Elektra to get the job done, then afterwards we didn’t see her again. The rotating cast also keeps things from being too predictable, because you’re not too sure who is going to show up and what their job is going to be. Abnett and Lanning also put Paladin in a role that I never saw coming, and it’s actually a welcome change from the character’s usual selfish motives.

The art is just fantastic from the opening scene to the final page, but I guess that’s to be expected from Brad Walker and Andrew Hennessy. They helped make Guardians of the Galaxy a great title and they’re bringing that same heat to Heroes For Hire. When relaunching a title this is definitely the way to go! If I had a complaint it would be that the book isn’t long enough to feature some of the action that happens off panel. Other than that I think I’ve found another title to add to my pull list!

Heroes For Hire #2
Publisher: Marvel
Writer(s): Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Artist: Brad Walker
Cover: Doug Braithwaite & Sonia Oback

“Damnunition”: A week’s time has passed and someone is supplying some heavy duty fire power to local gangs. So with the new issue we get a new batch of heroes on the scene to help Misty get to the bottom of things. She’s already got Silver Sable in the middle of a fire fight when the book opens, but thanks to Paladin doing some recon on his own, Misty finds out that they may be in over their heads. That’s when she calls in the big gun to assist Sable, and as you can see from the cover, Ghost Rider shows up, and believe me there is good reason. Paladin also does a bit more investigating, and he’s finding out that Misty may not be on the up and up about their operation, which is definitely going to cause some problems.

From the writing to the art I’m loving the Heroes For Hire relaunch! Walker and Hennessy bring the big action scenes to life with the detail and excellence they displayed during their run on Guardians of the Galaxy. Actually, there isn’t a page in either issue that I think falls short of their talents and what I’ve come to expect from their past work. There’s also what I think is a nod to the movie The Warriors, as we only get to see Misty’s lips in several panels as she’s calling the shots. Much like how the DJ was shown in the movie as she gave the various gangs updates on the Warriors’ whereabouts.

Abnett and Lanning push the plot a bit further and even though the meat of the tale is about what’s going on with Misty, you can’t help but love the excitement of Ghost Rider and Silver Sable’s mission. They also make Heroes For Hire a lot more than the usual team up book, since the heroes don’t show up and fight each other then fight the bad guys when they realize they’ve made a mistake. The heroes are chosen and it’s great to see how they react when someone totally unexpected pops up to assist or take over the next part of the mission. This formula works very well and adds something completely fresh and unexpected to the Heroes For Hire mythos. If Abnett and Lanning continue in the right direction, I see a lot of the street level characters getting a wider audience, and hopefully we’ll see a few unexpected villains as well.

Two issues in and I’m completely sold on the concept of Heroes For Hire, and hopefully this team stays on for quite a while. I actually haven’t enjoyed seeing Misty Knight this much since Palmiotti’s Daughters of the Dragon mini-series a few years back. It seems as if Abnett and Lanning are focusing as much on her as they are their rotating cast of characters. Which also lends to the fact that ANYONE could possibly show up in the pages of Heroes For Hire!

Till next time!

Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net