Occasionally the guys on Funnybooks will mention a comic that is damn good but will not talk about it much more after that initial introduction. Supurbia is one such book.
I understand why this occurred though. The first volume of this book was a miniseries. It was an excellent story and well drawn. Listening to them talk about it made me go and pick up all the issues in volume one. I was really impressed. It took awhile for the book to begin releasing as a monthly so it dropped off the radar. It only returned to shelves a few months ago. What a return though!
Supurbia, currently on its fifth issue, is written by Grace Randolph and tells the story of the Meta Legion. This team is this worlds version of the Justice League or Avengers. Instead of focusing on the bit set-piece fights with super villains, Randolph focuses more on the personal lives of the heroes and how this would affect these relationships. This is not a new take on the genre but Randolph’s story puts a unique spin on the tried and true. I get the feeling that she loves these types of characters as much as I do and has put a lot of care and attention is creating their story for our enjoyment.
For me, both her love of these characters and powerful storytelling capabilities come through the strongest in the characters of Batu and Night Fox.
Batu is a warrior women from a society that values the female principal above all else. She fell in love with a man from the outside world and is working towards reconciling the two worlds that she resides in. Randolph’s little twists to the tale are what are the standouts here. Batu is to bear a daughter who will be the inheritor of her powers. She has a son and a daughter and the son is the one who ends up being like Batu. The fun doesn’t end here as she is blamed for this failing and told that she must kill her son for her failings. She defies her leaders and fights to free her self and her son only to have her son rescued by his father as he completes the necessary steps to be just like his mother. My description doesn’t truly do this story line justice as it has both moments of high tension and parental angst as you wait to see what the next turn will be.
Night Fox’s story is just as exciting and intriguing. Where Batu is the Wonder Woman analog, Night Fox is the Batman. He is a rich billionaire that fights crime with high tech weaponry and vehicles and has the aid of Agent Twilight. The twists in the tale come fast and furiously here. Night Fox is married but having an affair with his sidekick. It is his wife, Alexis Fritsche, that oversees the fortunes as well as makes sure there are always more toys for Night Fox to use.She wants a divorce over this infidelity but is forced to deal with both Night Fox and Agent Twilight as the world is still plagued by menaces that can only be dealt with by the Meta Legion. Randolph leads one to believe that Night fox is something of an idiot in this triangle only to pull the rug out from underneath you in the latest issue’s reveal. Fucking awesome!
Her storytelling just gets better and better with every issue.
Russell Dauterman’s pencil are gorgeous. He has an excellent handle on the story that is being told. His action pieces are dynamic and are everything I expect from a superhero comic. He shines with the quieter, personal moments of the story. He has the ability to give life to the space where these interactions are happening without them ever overwhelming them. In the most recent issue, he gives us a page of Hella heart getting ready for the day. It has a very homey feel and illustrates both the vibrancy of Hella and the despair that she is suffering all at once. Just awesome!
I am loving this book. It is the only book I am reading currently that I actually anticipate its release.