Review: SUPURBIA #1

SUPURBIA #1
Written by Grace Randolph
Art by Russell Dauterman
Release Date: March 7, 2012

What goes on behind closed doors in a superhero community? Grace Randolph knows, and she’s letting us in on the secret. Supurbia is a unique look at the superhuman community, taking a behind-the-scenes approach to the archetypes all comic readers know. Randolph does an excellent job of making these archetypes easily recognizable – we immediately know (for the most part) who our major players are and there is a level of comfort that comes from knowing “who is who” in this new world. Where the intrigue comes in, and there is a lot of it, is in the characters we never meet: the spouses. There is far more going on in these suburbs than meets the eye, and while these significant others may not have powers per se, they are powerful people in their own rights. Randolph fills this first issue with biting dialogue, a metric ton of sass and a lot of humour. There is a lot of history between these characters, not all of it is good, and as readers we are lucky to be dropped right into the middle of the hornets nest. Like a duck on a pond, the surface is still, but the water beneath is churning. This is a well scripted first issue by Randolph, she keeps the story moving without giving away the farm and definitely plants all kinds of seeds to be explored throughout subsequent issues.

Randolph is joined by Russell Dauterman who provides excellent art in this issue. His stylized approach lends itself well to the subject matter and makes this book feel like a Real Housewives show. He also does a great job of portraying these well known archetypes without completely ripping off their source material.

This is a strong first issue from a title exploring a very interesting concept. Randolph has a great voice for these characters and I look forward to seeing where she goes with this exploration of the “other side” of superhero life.

Verdict: 8.5/10

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