Local Man from Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs might be one of the best comics that Image is putting out on the stands. Part of that is due to its premise: Jack Xaver, aka Crossjack, is a former ’90s-era superhero who fell from grace and relocates to his old hometown of Farmington only to discover it’s hiding some dark secrets. Most of it comes from the fact that Seeley and Fleecs have a genuine love for the early age of Image books, judging from the sheer volume of references to other Image characters as well as the aesthetics of certain characters. It’s a trend that continues throughout Local Man: Bad Girls Special #1.
True to its name, the Bad Girls Special focuses on the female characters within Local Man‘s narrative. Most of the focus is on Inga Johanning-Bucholz, Jack’s former girlfriend and the mastermind behind the shady dealings in Farmington, and Neon, the light-powered superheroine who Jack had an affair with. There are two other stories focusing on Seascape, the aqua-powered heroine whose demise fueled the crux of the second story arc, and Frightside – the demonic powered supervillainess (because what ’90s book was complete without a character whose powers came from Hell?)
Seeley and Fleecs’ gift for character work is on full display in the Bad Girls Special, as each of its female leads has more than a few skeletons rattling around in their closet. Neon had a connection to Seascape, as well as shades of darkness in her own “secret origin”. Frightside had a chilling encounter that made her reconsider her life of villainy. Inga was trying to save Farmington, but went down a very dark path in doing so. In exploring what brought all of these characters to their current path in life, the creative duo brings new meaning to the “bad girl” term – or rather, focusing on the “moral ambiguity” part of it.
The artwork also continues walking a tightrope between the past and the present, depending on who’s illustrating. When it’s Fleecs, the scene is more realistic; clothing has wrinkles and folds, while the scenery consists of mainly grass and open sky. When it’s Seeley, the ’90s-era aesthetics are dialed up, resulting in some insanely proportioned figures (and more than a few cameos from classic Image characters). Series colorists Brad Simpson and Felipe Sobreiro have a hand in shaping the scene as well, with Brian Reber stepping in to provide assistance whether it’s cold blues or bright neon pink.
Local Man: Bad Girls Special #1 continues to be the perfect marriage of ’90s-era tropes and character study, this time turning the spotlight on its female cast. Not only do I hope that Local Man continues for a while because it’s a great comic, but I also hope that we get more specials that continue to flesh out its world.
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