Title : Put on a Happy Face
Writer : Daniel Way
Artist : Steve Dillon
Colors : Dan Kemp (Avalon)
Letters : Joe Caramagna (VC)
Editor : Axel Alonso
Publisher : Marvel Comics (MAX)
I had severe concerns about these ‘Supreme Power’ mini-series when they were announced. I had already suffered through the exceptionally poor Doctor Spectrum mini, and so had braced myself for another torrent of suck.
So far, I’ve definitely been pleasantly surprised.
One advantage of this mini (and the concurrent ‘Hyperion’ series, written by JMS) is the apparent lack of editorial restraint. When writing the Doctor Spectrum series, there was the in-built restriction of the main character being in a coma the whole time (and no, I’m not kidding), and pretty much the whole series took place by way of flashback. Exit, legitimate suspense. Exit, fear of unpleasant outcomes.
Nighthawk takes a completely different tack. Telling stories of Nighthawk generally, and the more specific story of what appears to be a serial killer, has so far made for a gripping narrative. As was foreshadowed at the end of issue #1, the incarcerated killer Binst is out of his coma, and making life considerably more interesting for those he deems unworthy of survival. It will be interesting as to whether Binst serves as an enemy merely for this series, or if he is being set up as an arch-enemy that will last over an extended period of time.
Nighthawk certainly doesn’t seem bound by even the modest scruples which restrict Batman in his everyday crime-fighting. In one memorable scene, he coolly informs his subject that “When we’re done talking, I’m gonna kill you. So the longer you talk, the longer you live.” Brrr!
The stakes of Binst’s mania are irrevocably raised in the last few pages, with several memorable images making a decided impression on the reader’s brain. Another kind of difficulty with the moving of Supreme Power from the ‘MAX’ label is the lack of flexibility provided to writers and artists in their story choices.
Steve Dillon, on art, keeps right up with Dillon in his portrayals here. Nighthawk, in particular, looks like a guy in a scary suit, and not some kind of ubermensch. The original design of Nighthawk’s outfit was a stroke of genuis, and the lack of cape certainly aids the ‘different’ look.
My only (sort of) complaint with Dillon’s style, as carried on from ‘Preacher’ is his tendency to make the ‘shape’ of people’s faces almost always the same, and only distinguishable by features such as hair colour. Something which is mildly distracting.
A great job all round though, and I’ll be enjoying these mini’s while they last.
