Reviewer: Tim Stevens
Story Title: Parenthood
Written by: Marc Andreyko
Pencilled by: Jesus Saiz
Inked by: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colored by: Steve Buccellato
Lettered by: Phil Balsman
Editor: Joan Hilty
Publisher: DC Comics
Andreyko and Co. hit the ground running with issue #1, dropping the reader into the midst of Federal Prosecutor Kate Spencer’s over boiling frustration. Sick of watching meta criminals get off on technicality after technicality, she armed herself with seized evidence and focused her rage on the recently released Copperhead. It was a swift brutal issue with little room for getting to “know” Spencer.
This issue takes care of that, focusing entirely on a typical Saturday in the prosecutor’s life, beginning inauspiciously with a creatively lit cigarette and going downhill from there. Along the way, we find that Spencer and her ex-husband do not have the best of divorced relationships and has a tendency to forget about picking up her son for their weekends together (boy, can’t imagine what that’s like).
Andreyko does a solid job of expanding upon Spencer’s barely sketched out personality from last issue. We can see how her workaholicism would give raise to her actions last issue and how it has eroded all of her relationships. She is complicated and vaguely unlikable. She is neither all obsession or sunny optimism, but rather just as cynical as your average individual. It is a credit to Andreyko for casting such a figure in the role of protagonist.
Besides her own mismanaged personal life, Spencer also faces fallout from her revenge killing last issue. There is, of course, the impending police investigation, but what is more threatening is that Shadow Thief has been watching the news. Reacting as any friend would, particularly a super villain friend, Thief has decided to avenge his friend/cohort’s death and take the fight to the new Manhunter. Again, Andreyko, in a few brief moments, renders Thief as a human villain, not a mustache twirling Dastardly cliché.
I am not overtly familiar with the art team (except Palmiotti) but was pleased with their effort here. The three person collaboration renders the vigilante side of the world with the proper darkness and lightens things up effectively for the “real” world sequences with Kate and her ex and son. Jae Lee continues to do some excellent cover work as well.
The ending is a nice nod to the gun in the parent’s home danger with the requisite superhero twist. Between that and the oncoming threat of the Shadow Thief, I am definitely sticking around this new series.
