Local Man is a comic that slowly worked its way into my heart. I first heard about it from a friend and after reviewing the Local Man: Gold and Local Man: Bad Girls specials I caught up on the main series. It’s part love letter to the classic Image era, part meditation on the potential of youth and the possibility of redemption, and an overall good comic. That continues with Local Man #10, which launches a new story arc that’s surprisingly reader-friendly.
Jack Xaver, the superhero formerly known as Crossjack, is at yet another low point in his life. His father is dead, he’s learned that his former girlfriend was part of a conspiracy involving his hometown, and he (accidentally) killed his former teammate Camo Crusader. Now at his rope’s end, Jack is again called back to Farmington.
Co-writers/artists Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs are in sync to a rare degree among creative teams. They’ve created a whole world that feels both wholly original and reminiscent of the first wave of Image series, while also continuing to probe into Jack’s state of mind. This is a guy who’s made some pretty big mistakes, but still tries to do the right thing – no matter how much he might mess up. As one character tells him: “You can’t hit a target if you don’t take aim first.”
Seeley and Fleecs also continue their unique visual language with the art. Fleecs handles the modern day sections, which still look realistic: Jack even grows a beard and cuts his hair, showing that time does pass. In Seeley’s backup story, the McFarlane/Liefeld/Silvestri influence can be felt when Crossjack and his former Third Gen teammate Softkore hit the town. The color art helps as well: Brad Simpson lends a earthier, more realistic tone to Fleecs’s work while Felipe Sobriero laces Seeley’s art with the bright, eye-catching colors that were in every ’90s book.
Local Man #10 is many things. It’s a good jumping on point for a series that’s worth your time and attention. It’s a reminder that heroism, like most things in life, isn’t an easy road – there’s setbacks and there’s loss, and what matters is that you keep going. It’s also proof that the right creators, when given the space to work their magic, can deliver a story that makes you remember why you love comics.
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