The Paybacks #1
When the recession hits the superhero world, The Paybacks arrive like a superhuman repo agency to collect what’s owed.
The Paybacks, one of the latest efforts to come out of Dark Horse Comics is a refreshing entry into an industry that at times takes itself way too seriously (especially since it’s founded on fictional crime fighting men and women running around in brightly colored, barely there spandex). The first issue, written by Donny Cates and Eliot Rahal with art by Geoff Shaw, features a motley band of repo superheroes who are tasked with recovering the toys and gadgets of fellow crime-fighters when they can’t pay their bills.
Cates and Rahal have penned a fast paced issue filled with lots of superhero tropes while having a laugh or three in the process. Even the names of some of the characters, including Miss Adventure, Jacob Destruction and Bloodpouch are worthy of a chuckle. The dialogue is quick and filled with puns. Night Knight’s introduction is laugh out loud funny and almost made me feel like I was reading one of the superhero spoofs that Mad Magazine used to publish during its heyday.
The art is a great fit and Shaw’s pencils and storytelling are reminiscent of Mort Drucker’s work that used to grace the Mad Magazine superhero and movie spoofs. Shaw’s figurework and facial expressions really compliment the writing and Lauren Affe’s colors help to complete a pleasing visual package.
The Paybacks is a series that at first glance appears to share the same DNA as the ridiculously funny and satirical Venture Brothers cartoon on Adult Swim. There’s a lot of superhero mythology to mine, poke fun at and bend on its ear as an escape from the super serious narratives that seem to dominate the majority of mainstream comics at the moment. Issue #1 is a promising start, rife with superhero inside jokes but it also has an edge and a bit of mystery that promises to entertain readers and keep them guessing as to where things will go next.
