Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities HERO

I read the first trade of this series. It wasn't bad at all.

Does it keep up the level of writing, or does it become old after a while?

well the current story concerns a macho construction worker who finds the dial, gets turned into a female superhero, then loses the dial before turning back. His best friend is attracted to him and attempts to get intimate. He has gone to his ex-wife for help.

See, that sounds interesting enough. I'll check it out in trade at least. Hopefully they continue putting it out in trade form.

I've loved every issue so far, except # 12 (I haven't read # 13 or 14, yet). The man-turns-into-a-woman idea has been done before and done better.

But I particularly loved # 11 (featuring the super-caveman), # 6 (featuring a school girl) and # 1-4 (featuring a young man who calls a suicide hotline AFTER he gets the dial).

In fact, I wrote an overview of # 1-11 for the local comics creators' newsletter. I'll see if I can post it here tonight.

Here it is ...


When You Wish Upon a Dial
An Overview of H-E-R-O # 1-11 (DC Comics)
by
Greg Gildersleeve
Copr. 2004

A young man calls a suicide hotline from a phone booth and announces that he intends to kill himself. The reason, he says, is that he has found a device that gives him incredible power by tranforming him into an infinite number of super-heroes -- each with its own costume, name and set of powers. Yet the young man is miserable. In spite of his efforts, he feels he can never measure up to the one true hero he has seen, Superman.

That's how the first issue of H-E-R-O begins -- a series that explores what might happen when ordinary people gain almost limitless power. It's standard wish-fulfillment fantasy, but with a twist. Even if you're not into super-heroes, H-E-R-O is still worth checking out. It focuses not so much on powers and costumed identities, but rather on the people "inside" – ordinary people such as a business executive, a schoolgirl and a thief – whose lives are changed for better or worse when they get a chance to make their dreams come true.

Take Jerry, for example. He's the young man in the phone booth. Jerry's life is going nowhere. He lives in an economically depressed town and ekes out a living in an ice cream parlor. Jerry wants to ask out a gorgeous fellow employee named Molly, but Molly can only talk about one thing – Superman. How's a guy supposed to compete with that?

One day, Jerry gets his chance when a customer leaves something behind – a dial with four buttons labeled H-E-R-O. One night, Jerry presses those buttons and is instantly transformed into a hero called Afterburner. Jerry learns that he can fly. He also learns that he can save lives. Jerry's destiny is clear, he thinks, as he lands in front of a speeding car in an effort to stop its intoxicated driver.

But there's just one problem.

Invulnerability is not one of Afterburner's powers.

Writer Will Pfeifer and artist Kano explore not only the choices that people make when they are granted enormous power, but also the limitations of those powers. Sometimes the consequences are funny, sometimes horrific – and often both at the same time. Jerry, for example, survives his encounter with the drunk driver. But his subsequent efforts to use the dial for good also meet with disaster. When Molly is injured as a direct result of his heroic efforts, Jerry decides there is only one thing left to do: kill himself. But even that doesn't turn out as he expects.

Pfeifer and Kano take their time with Jerry – four issues – but most subsequent arcs are one or two issues long. In issue # 5, for example, the dial passes into the hands of Matt Allen, a high-powered business executive, who sneaks out of board meetings to stop car chases and right overturned trucks. But Matt isn't in the super-hero game to make a difference in people's lives. Matt is in it for the rush. Unfortunately, this costs him dearly as his life unravels around him. Matt remains oblivious to all else but getting his hero fix – an apt metaphor, perhaps, for certain comics fans.

This leads into issue # 6, my favorite, so far. Matt's young daughter, Andrea, takes the dial and uses it to win friends at her new school. Before long, buxom babes in goggles and capes are running through the halls of the school, only to disappear in a cloud of smoke before the principal shows up. One of Andrea's friends even uses the dial to overturn a school bus in an effort to get out taking a history test!

The story possibilities of H-E-R-O seem as endless as the super-identities the dial imparts on its owner. Pfeifer makes each story character-driven. One of his recurring themes is that having powers does not change who people really are. Screw-ups remain screw-ups. Selfish people remain selfish. Those with small goals just have a grander way of realizing them – a point driven home by a gang of thrill seekers in issues # 7-8. They dial up super-identities in order to demolish buildings and terrorize mall patrons just so they can film their exploits for a website. But they, like the dial-holders before them, have trouble hanging onto the one thing that makes all their fantasies come true.

Issues # 9-10 focus on a thief who uses the dial to plan perfect crimes. But the one thing he truly craves – respect as a super-villain – eludes him so long as no one knows he committed them.

The latest issue, # 11, departs from the linear storytelling by having the dial fall upon a Neanderthal 50,000 years ago. (No explanation is given in the series for the dial's origin or for how long it's been around – but then none is necessary.) In many ways, this is the most poignant story so far. Whereas previous dial-holders have used their powers for transient or trivial purposes, the "supercaveman" spends his life wandering the earth, seeing parts of it no one else has seen and developing talents centuries before anyone else. In the end, he leaves a legacy that is unearthed in the present day.

Kano, who pencils and inks every issue except # 7-8, is a wonderfully versatile artist. He excels at facial expressions and alters the style of his art to fit the mood of the story. As such, every tale looks as unique as its main character – from the dark and gritty setting of Jerry's hometown to the brighter depiction of Matt Allen's corporate-and-suburbs existence. Most of Kano's super-hero designs are not original (though "Illusia" in # 6 was kind of fun), but that doesn't detract from the story's focus on people; rather, it enhances it.

H-E-R-O is, of course, an updated version of "Dial H For Hero," a DC series that first ran in the "60s. The dial -- or a version of it -- has resurfaced in the DC Universe ever since, but none of the previous series I've seen have explored the concept quite as fully as the present one does. If there is any fault to the series, it is that the stories -- aside from a subplot revolving around a certain previous owner of the dial who wants it back -- seem too episodic and removed from each other. But even that is a strength. In an age when Marvel and DC produce comics tailored for trade paperback collections, it's refreshing to read a series that one need not follow in its entirety to get a good story.

Rather, one should follow it because every story is good.

The subplot about the former wielder of the dial who wants it back has me confused as it is implied that said former owner (a criminal escaped from prison) is Robby Reed. I want to see where this is going.

I've enjoyed every issue of HERO. Wouldn't call it a top favorite or anything, but it IS a good, solid read.

While I am picking up the series and am intrigued, I have to say I miss Chris King and Vicki Grant. And I really don't care for the whole "Robby Reed is an escaped convict" angle!!

And on the "H-Dial" theme, I really loved its use in the Silver Age" DC event that Mark Waid did a few couple of years back. A lot of fun!

I too miss Chris and Vicki.

Im hoping that Vicki is dealt with since last we saw her she was evil...

When did we last see Chris and Vicki, anyway?

Vicki was seen in Superboy and the Ravers, Chris some time in the New Titans series (or possibly the Hawk and Dove Annual # 1 - not sure which came later).

Chris King was *very briefly* in JLA/Titans turning down one of Cyborg's probes request for assistance I think. That's probably his last appearance.

He was also one of the ex-Titans kidnapped by Jericho and the Wildebeest society during the Titans Hunt a few years ago, though I don't think he got any lines.

When was he in the Titans though?

Anyway, I was a bit disapointed by this most recent storyline - it didn't need to go on for 3 issues although there were some great bits in there.

Looks like the stand alone story aspect might be coming to an end with Robbie coming back. Any thoughts about this? I think it's one of the strengths of the book...

I, too, was disappointed in the man-becomes-super-powered-woman arc. What it amounted to was a sexist jerk getting his comeuppance. Both the main character and his buddy (who drugs him/her, has sex with him/her, then falls in love with him/her) were pathetic. The story lacked the virtues of the first arc because there was nothing likeable about our "hero."

I don't mind Robbie Reed as a subplot -- he adds a certain tension to the book. But I hope he doesn't become the focus. I like it that the dial passes through a variety of hands.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the current arc, focusing on the edgy Robby Reed and Jerry, the power-dialer from the first arc of HERO.

But am I to understand that EVERY SINGLE HERO-dialer now has inherent superpowers?

That takes a little something away from the mythos, I think... even though I was glad Robby & Jerry had powers.

*gasp*

Lori Morning...!

That's what it would seem to suggest, yes. Oh dear.

As I recall, it depends on how long the wielder used the dial.

Lori didn't have it forever. It just seemed that way.

I was enjoying the series when each issue focuse don a dfferent person who happened upon the dial, and how they dealt with it. Especially given that most stories were complete in an issue or two.

The current "H Dial Wars" has gon on for several issues, looks to go on for several more, and has littel real plot development in any one given issue. It's beginning to look like every other book onthe market and I am beginning to seriously lose interest in the book.

Might end up dropping it in a few issues.

I'm with you, OO. I picked this up because of the way it was written as a personality study. Not only am I not too crazy about the fact that it's shifted to a somewhat standard super-hero story, also, these issues seem padded. There's no reason why issues 16 and 17 couldn't have been condensed to one.

When did Vicki become evil? I thought the Chris/Vicki series was great because we got crazy Boy heroes and Girl heroes in the same issue.

I considered buying Hero but as I rarely buy comic books outside legion I never got around to it.

I guess Robby having powers makes sense. He's probably had the dial at least as long as Chris & Vicky. But Jerry only had the dial a short time. Him having powers now, is a stretch (IMHO).

Agreeance.

It seems like Lori must have had her dial for at least as long as Jerry had his. It felt like Jerry only had his dial for a week or two.

Lori used it several times over. She would certainly have inherent powers now (and pretty dang powerful ones, from the looks of this storyarc) if the post-boot remains in-continuity.

Seems to me this would H Dial Wars foolishness is a reaction to the books circulation numbers, which have been fairly low. Looks like they are trying to make the book, more like other books.

But in doing so, they are going to lose me. Looking at Previews, it seems this arc leads into directly into another more of the same arc.

I've decided to drop the book.

I am thoroughly enjoying the final arc of HERO, even though it does feel a bit like "housecleaning" all the former H-Dialers from this series out of continuity. I guess it wouldn't do to have all these folks running around with powers.

Jerry and all but one of the video stunt guys are already dead.

It's got a cool "gang war" feel to it... the serial killer and the super-villain kidnap the little girl, obviously to influence her to their side.

Meanwhile, Robby is collectng all the former dialers he can... the surviving video stunt guy and the little girl's dad...

I'm enjoying it, but I really don't want to see every character used so far in HERO slaughtered...