Review - Indestructible #1

"So...you opened your doors only to break my heart?"

Ever fancy yourself a superhero? Many people often imagine having one or multiple powers, something that makes for pretty powerful daydreaming. There are others though who are content with being who they are, powers be damned. Those make for some rather interesting stories and IDW and Darby Pop Publishing has a brand new one in Indestructible #1. The issue is written by Jeff Kline, illustrated by Javi Garcon and Salvi Garcia, colored by Alejandro Sanchez and lettered by Troy Peteri.

Gregory is one of your standard, boring individuals with a penchant for not having things going his way. He's got a hot date with a hot lady named Desiree, only it doesn't quite go according to plan when she learns he's short and there's someone else in line who can actually get in the club. That leads Gregory to a rather boring trip to the video store, where he's unwittingly mistaken for a superhero. Turns out, things are going to get more exciting for him after the events of that fateful night.

Kline's taking a very interesting approach in the book, offering up a superhero who's not really a superhero at all. Gregory is likable enough as an everyday guy just hoping to catch a break and his refusal to accept his heroism is quite refreshing. It's a subtle jab at the concept of superheroes and the worth they place on themselves, even if they all don't do it as an ego boost. The jab is part of the entire concept behind the story and it works exceptionally well in satirizing the world of superheroes.

The art by Garcon and Garcia is fairly cartoony, but it's a great fit for the story. It ensures that the reader doesn't take the story too seriously, offering an expression on the face of Gregory that's all sorts of "why me?" and woe. The duo primarily lay out the panels in a standard, gridlike fashion, with an occasional inset mixed in. There's a really cool panel that's from the victim's point of view at the sight of a gunshot, which does break things up a bit and pulls the reader in at a pretty pivotal moment in the book.

Indestructible #1 is a fun look at a rather tired trope in the superhero and their sense of self-worth. There are certainly heroes who don't really enjoy their newfound status, but many draw upon that ability to define who they are at the end of the day. Gregory is a lot more zero than hero when it comes to special powers, but he's a character that many can relate to and you really pull for as a reader. The creative team take a new approach to the subject matter and is a breath of fresh air in a book full of capes and tights.

Indestructible #1 is in stores December 11 with interiors below.