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Huck #1 Advance Review

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Huck #1 Advance Review

Plot Summary: Huck #1 is set in a quiet American town, where Huck uses his special gifts to do a good deed each day. His neighbors return the favors by keeping his abilities a secret. But when a newcomer alerts the media, a firestorm erupts, sending Huck on an adventure that will change everything and show him where he came from.

Release date: November 18

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Huck #1 Advance Review

Story

Dave: Why do superheroes do good? Is it because nobody else can or will, or is it because of some deep seeded need for justice? How often do heroes do things because they just care about people? That’s what this comic seems to be out to explore, but what will happen when the 24 hour news cycle finds out? I have a suspicion this story is all about how corrupt the 24 hour news cycle is, but we shall see. Either way there’s some fresh ideas at play here.

Lisa: A light hearted story with a main character you want to see succeed. Huck is a simple man who just wants to do good for others every day. The story seems very simple but that may be the hook, is anything that simple? Will we discover that Huck has a breaking point? How will Huck fare outside his small town for any length of time? I suspect his purity will be put to the test.

Dog: Millar characterizes Huck as Captain America meets Forrest Gump, but it’s more like Superman being outed before he ever leaves Smallville. Huck’s a genuinely good person (or does he need people’s admiration?), and he starts to realize that the whole world could use his gifts, but what will the world want from him now that they know he’s out there? Now that the story’s set up, this probably won’t be touched on again, but I want to know more about the woman who blew his cover. That’s a dick move.

Jordan: A simple, but rather lighthearted story about guy named Huck and his willingness to help people and make their lives better. It’s sort of like a Superman tale, but if Superman was somehow even nicer and was still living in Smallville (occasionally leaving to help out the world at large if he sees something on TV). There’s not much beyond that, the story basically just laying the groundwork for whatever is to come next.

Kat: Huck seems like a humble do-gooder. He’s handsome, genuine, and people believe he’s a little on the slow side, but I’m guessing there’s more to that. The guy was abandoned as a child and grows up to do one good deed a day for others. It’s has a special Superman quality, but with much more believability, and I applaud it for that alone.

Huck #1 Advance Review

Characters

Dave: Huck doesn’t say a word until the very last page and instead we get to know him from what others think of him and the notes he scratches down. This is a smart and cunning move as it allows the reader to believe it all the more. Instead of them telling us what they think we’re seeing that actions speak louder than words.

Lisa: Mrs. Taylor seems to be the Aunt Bea (Andy Griffith Show) of the story, delivering a warning in a neighborly way, accompanied by homemade pie, to protect Huck. Having this grandmotherly character protecting Huck accentuates his childlike nature.

Dog: Huck seems pretty straight-laced until you look more closely at his motivations. Or maybe I’m reading too much into it. It’ll be interesting to see how he reacts to the world beating a path to his door. We don’t learn too much about the townspeople, but why are they so insistent on keeping Huck to themselves? Share the wealth!

Jordan: There about three different characters that have a bit of panel time more than others, but the only one who gets the most attention is our titular character, Huck. There’s not a lot to him other than his very kind nature and his desire to do good in the world, despite it kind of leaving him without much in terms of wealth or possessions from the brief shots we get of his home. However, he is still a very admirable and likeable character and it makes you wonder how he will be able to deal with what is certainly to come next.

Kat: The focus is on Huck, but I like that the side characters really give that small town feel. They’re all up in each others’ business and one of them in particular is curious as to why Huck does all these good-natured things. Huck barely has any dialogue, but the art really jams this piece up. His character is very detailed and he’s just very likable overall.

Huck #1 Advance Review

Writing

Dave: While the subdued and subtle nature of the story progression is a nice way to introduce the premise and characters it is still a very fast read. Like with many books written by Mark Millar the reading is quick and you just know reading the entire series in one sitting will benefit the experience. It is however a read that’ll make you feel good about do-gooding, which is a rarity these days. Out with the dark and in with the nice!

Lisa: This is a perfect example of short but sweet. The art work in the first few pages silently and swiftly introduce us to Huck’s world. Millar then uses diary entries and very little dialogue to continue Huck’s story. This light approach leaves your imagination to fill in the blanks. I was left wanting to know what will happen next.

Dog: The first five pages are mostly silent, invoking a Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. vibe. That’s not a bad thing, and the rest of the issue is kind of minimalist, too. It’s over before you know it, which kind of surprised me, but the real shock is that this is a much more positive story than Millar’s usual fare. It’s good to see him deviate from Kick-Ass Part 27 and stretch some different creative muscles.

Jordan: This is a very sweet and quiet story like others said, just letting the imagery and some of the minor characters’ reactions tell all that needs to be told. There’s nothing overly complicated here and not a whole lot happens, making for a rather peaceful, but quick read. The only problem with that is there isn’t much going on like said and the comic feels like it ends before it really gets going. Also, where does Huck get all of his money from if he keeps giving it away?

Kat: This is really short, but it leaves you wanting more. There’s not much to the dialogue or story yet, but it’s like building blocks with these type of comics. You have to wait a while before you start to see the masterpiece…which I’m hoping it’ll turn out that way, because from the looks of it this very well could be a favorite of mine.

Huck #1 Advance Review

Art

Dave: I’m a fan. I like the watercolor look Albuquerque delivers on backgrounds making the events taking place pop. The book opens beautifully with Huck on a mission and Albuquerque draws it so that Huck looks larger than life even if he’s not traveling in style or with some great special effects. It’s subtle and subdued just like the story.

Lisa: The combination of fine point, pen markings and watercolor brush strokes are a great choice. Albuquerque’s fantastic use of light in each panel especially within the faces, emphasizes a range of emotions. There is a constant play of light and dark, you see shadows in the trees and a shadow on the TV screen from the sunny door. It’s as if shadows are another character throughout the story.

Dog: Rafael Albuquerque’s art is kind of scratchy, but it matches the book’s tone. The sequential storytelling is great, especially in the beginning, right when the art needs to do all the heavy lifting. There’s also an effective use of light and dark color palettes to differentiate between day and night, and to make Huck look all bright and shiny.

Jordan: After being so used to Albuquerque’s work on American Vampire and Animal Man, Huck’s artwork feels so radically different in tone and feel. The colors all invoke a very warm and comforting feel to it that really makes this kind tone and nature that Huck is always showing much more believable. The characters are drawn exceptionally well and the storytelling is so very smooth. This is easily some of the best I’ve seen this artist ever put out.

Kat: The artwork is clear, concise, and am super pleased with it. In fact, I couldn’t be happier. The characters are unique, the backgrounds are beautiful, and there is plain and simple movement from one panel to the next. I won’t even lie, I would buy this comic just for the art alone. I can’t even begin to praise it enough.

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