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America's Got Powers #1 Comic Review
By Dan Horn
April 12, 2012 - 17:04

Image Comics
Writer(s): Jonathan Ross
Penciller(s): Bryan Hitch
Inker(s): Bryan Hitch
Colourist(s): Bryan Hitch
Letterer(s): Bryan Hitch
Cover Artist(s): Bryan Hitch
$2.99 US



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English TV personality Jonathan Ross pens his sophomore comic book project, after the recent Image miniseries Turf, and is joined by perennial comic illustrator Bryan Hitch. The new miniseries from Image Comics is America's Got Powers, and it doesn't actually deserve a synopsis. Just imagine as many "advent of the superhumans" tropes as you can, add a dash of Stephen King's The Running Man and a pinch of Ugly Duckling allegory, and you're bound to think of something a little more interesting than America's Got Powers.

The success of the series seems to be hinged solely on the novelty of an American Idol-for-superheroes premise. It typifies the modern "high concept," which is a celebration of idea over plot substance and character depth. Ross' script is otherwise thin, and for all its frenetic violence is a pale, boring, and highly-derivative exploration of the superhero concept. Its main character is expressed through transparently cliched interactions and dialogue (Hey, I'm a good guy because I give toys away to kids. Please feel empathy for me!). The first issue trudges forward to predictable plot devices and an expected cliff-hanger. The upped page count at $2.99 is appreciated, but so many of the pages within feel superfluous, and it becomes a drag toiling through this soulless, tedious exercise in genre unoriginality.

Even Hitch's artwork isn't without egregious faults of its own. Obviously photo-referenced (most of the characters have identifiable templates, such as Sarah Palin and Ed Harris), Hitch's panels are ultra-detailed, but facial expressions are often blank, leaving characters looking stiff, vacuous, and likely as uninterested as their readers. There is some impressive work here, visually, especially in color and layout, but the finishes leave much to be desired, especially in the imagination department.

Ultimately (no Bryan Hitch pun intended), America's Got Powers doesn't warrant anyone's attention or money, unless one is in the market for eye-roll-inducing sludge.
Rating: 4/10

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America's Got Powers #1 Comic Review