Hero Hourly #1 (21 Pulp)
Written by James Patrick
Pencils and Inks by Carlos Trigo
Colors by Alex Sollazzo
Welcome to Hero Hourly! If Saul thought that working as a superhero would be any different than asking if you want fries with that, he was sorely mistaken. Now he has to deal with bad pay, passive-aggressive bosses, work politics, and that one jerk who never carries his weight. We all have to start somewhere, and Saul’s going to learn that the best thing for a person might just be a hard-day’s work. .
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Saul is a pretty normal, average, everyday guy. He went to school for a job that dropped out from under him when recession hit. He’s got a couple roommates, one with a girlfriend who eats all of his food, and another with the disturbing habit of “teabagging” Saul when he loses at Halo. Saul’s a little full of himself, but name one twenty-something who doesn’t start out that way before Life has the chance to kick him soundly in the teeth. All in all, Saul represents the Everyman in almost every way.
So, what does a young fella with rent to pay and student loans coming do have going for him? The fast food industry is always looking for people who don’t mind spending their lives smelling like a grease trap. There’s always telemarketing… which, according to Saul, represents the tenth circle of Hell. Or, if you really wanted to step outside of the box, why not a job at Hero Hourly? Just punch in, toss the patented super-serum down the hatch, and for $8.50 an hour (starting) you can get out there and make a difference!
In an industry glutted on men and women in tights, Hero Hourly spins the genre a little bit differently. All employees are required to wear the uniform, follow the manual which includes proper heroic posture and banter. All employees are reminded that the serum which grants them strength, invulnerability, and flight will last about nine hours (please don’t punch the vending machine in the break room while on the serum…). Finally, all Hero Hourly employees are reminded that their heroics are limited to paying clients only… no freebies.
The creative team of Patrick and Trigo present us with a more cynical turn in the superhero genre. This title is written with tongue firmly in cheek, and drawn with a style reminiscent of Mad Magazine. The only question is, will Saul step up and break out of his pattern of mediocrity? Will he embrace the life of a true hero, corporate manual be damned? Okay, that’s two questions… Snark aside, the cynical tone of Hero Hourly should appeal to anyone who’s ever wondered what it truly means to be “over qualified” for a job market that seems to hate anyone who stands out.
Just step to it… we’re on the clock here, and the bank across town has a contract.
