The Victories #1 Advanced Review

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The Victories #1 Advanced Review
By Andy Frisk
August 5, 2012 - 16:38

Dark Horse Comics
Writer(s): Michael Avon Oeming
Penciller(s): Michael Avon Oeming
Inker(s): Michael Avon Oeming
Colourist(s): Nick Filardi
Letterer(s): Aaron Walker
Cover Artist(s): MIchael Avon Oeming with Nick Filardi
$3.99 US

The Victories are the Justice League of creator Michael Oeming's new mini-series The Victories. Existing in a world that is part Watchmen and part Marvel Ultimate, The Victories fight crime and attempt to maintain law and order in a world that fears, distrusts, loves, and hates them all at the same time. The first member of the team that we're introduced to is Faustus. He's a sort of hybrid Batman/Spider-Man in appearance and attitude who's having a serious crisis of conscious. Failing to stop a major crime committed by the hyper violent (and gross) vigilante The Jackal, Faustus' vows to The Victories, and to himself, might come into question...along with his sense of self-worth.

A new hyper-violent, yet smart and witty, exploration of the enigma and psychology of "capes" (superheroes) in the vein of both Watchmen and The Boys looks to be a sure fire hit for Oeming. Going deeper into psychological issues like self-doubt, issues that plague everyone not just fictional superheroes, Oeming looks to craft a story that can possibly resonate deeper in the psyche than Moore's tale did. After the opening (and shocking) actions of The Jackal and the subsequent fight between him and Faustus, Oeming settles into the real meat of the story: its psychological musing.

As an sequential artist, Oeming is in the unique position of being able to bring his story to life himself without relying on the interpretation of a separate artist. His style is reminiscent of Mike Mignola's, and there's nothing wrong with that. He makes the style his own though by adding some more cartoonish aspects to it, particularly in his character's facial expressions. It's a brilliant visual realization of his psychological themes.

Readers looking for a comic book directed more towards mature readers who have the intellectual capacity to handle more mature themes (an by mature I mean more intelligent and introspective) will happily devour The Victories #1, just as I did.

Rating: 9/10