REVIEW: Authority Abuse in HEROES REBORN #4
In the first story of Heroes Reborn #4, “The Most Hated Man in the Heavens” by Jason Aaron, James Stokoe, and Cory Petit readers will see the superheroics of U.S. Air Force Colonel Joseph Ledger, A.K.A. the comic lawman Doctor Spectrum – and they will be disgusted! Not for nothing has this guy earned the moniker in the story title, Marvel Blog True Believers! Read on to see what I mean.
Heroes Reborn #4 main cover by Leinil Francis Yu and Sunny Gho. Photo: Marvel Comics
“The Most Hated Man in the Heavens”
In the Heroes Reborn event, we were already introduced to the Squadron Supreme of America, the superhero team that apparently would have arisen if the Avengers had never been formed. In this brave New-ish 52-ish world, a different team of heroes defends the United States. But are they really the heroes they present themselves to be?
Photo: Marvel Comics
This issue casts some more serious doubt on that fact!
First off, we see Doctor Spectrum’s internal dialogue throughout this issue, and although it looks very pretty (the word balloons are done-up in a very neat, very readable rainbow), the words he’s saying are gross!
Photo: Marvel Comics
It’s clear that he has no appreciation for the great diversity of life in the galaxy, and instead makes inappropriate judgements about extraterrestrials because they are different from the humans with whom Doctor Spectrum is most familiar.
Photo: Marvel Comics
Heroes Reborn #4 culminates in a battle between Doctor Spectrum and another character who will be familiar to anyone with even a passing familiarity with the Marvel Universe, but before that, this issue is filled with spectacular splash pages… you’ll want to see them!
What About the Starjammers?
Remember Marvel Blog True Believers: we first met the Starjammers back in Hyperion & The Imperial Guard #1. Along with some other heroes, the team included a parallel universe version of Trash Panda Rocket (A.K.A. Starbrand) and Groot!
Photo: Marvel Comics
However, as of Heroes Reborn #4, it seems that the superhero team known as the Starjammers has disbanded, leaving Starbrand and Groot without a team to fight the sack of Earth spit (A.K.A. Doctor Spectrum) all on their own.
Photo: Marvel Comics
“Born in the Stars”
In the second story included in Heroes Reborn #4, “Born in the Stars” by Aaron, Ed McGuinness, Mark Morales, Matthew Wilson, and Petit, we get another small chapter that shows us more about how the Avengers are re-forming in the margins of the narrative.
“Born in the Stars” in Heroes Reborn #4. Photo: Marvel Comics
In some ways, this backup story connected more directly with the main story than past entries have, at least, thus far in the event. By the time we get to Heroes Reborn #7, will the two chapters be directly connected? We’ll find out, Marvel Blog True Believers!
Heroes Reborn #4
Heroes Reborn #4 featured a main cover by Leinil Francis Yu and Sunny Gho, plus plenty of additional variant covers by a whole bunch of talented artists. Which cover did you pick up? Let us know in the comment section, Marvel Blog True Believers!
In Mephisto We Trust. Photo: Marvel Comics
