E.V.I.L Heroesby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 7 This TPB is complete, containing issues #1-6. The essences of seven ancient, evil, and powerful spirits take human hosts and take over the Earth. A small band of heroes allows themselves to be mutated through an experiment and fight back. This is not the first time these beings have tried to rule Earth; they tried to learn from their previous mistakes, but their desire to rule rather than just destroy allows for hope and struggle. The tide is turned through one spirit, who has inhabited the wrong vessel ....So, the villains. I don't understand the mix. One is a giant bat (a la Dracula, especially when we see where he goes to rule on Earth, how he lives, and how he kills); one is a mix between the Creature (from the Black Lagoon) and Aquaman; one is Anubis; one is sort of Shiva; and the final three are like known heroes (Superman, complete with strength, laser eyes, and flight; Flash; and Wonder Woman). We know they took human hosts, and at the end, we see the Superman-like one adapt his form to look like the new species they are conquering, so why don't all of them look human? Or, why don't they all look like gods from our world's mythologies (like Anubis and Shiva)? Or, for that matter, why don't they all look like creatures of legend / horror movies or comic-book supers? Also, despite the unsatisfying explanation of the military-experiment's name, there is no reason for Earth's heroes to be the "evil" ones (especially when the main three villains look like evil versions of three superheroes). And how did it go from "EVL" (for "evolution") to "E.V.I.L." rather than just "evil" since the change was just a nickname? What does the "I" stand for? The comic does a better job of explaining how the moon's partial destruction could have been worse and why the one villain took the wrong host (all through visuals!), which is a fascinating and creative twist. I like how that results in a "Flash" versus "Superman" fight (and I like how it's finished). And, randomly, why did they have to "kill" the Adam West Batman in their first practice run as mutant heroes? All of that aside (and it's a fair amount to set aside), this is an enjoyable, quick, and action-packed read. It does a surprisingly good job of giving us a feel for the main human characters as well as the two main villains in such a short time period and around all the deadly action. It's all superficial, but it's enough. We even get to see the heroes test their new powers -- a scene which also informs us of their nicknames and stats. Even so, it's hard to keep everyone straight, to the point that I'm really not sure which heroes / powers are left alive at the end (and it's not important enough to dig back through to figure it out). The pacing is handled very well also! Each issue and the whole are each balanced to show us what's going on in the bigger picture, what the heroes are doing, and how the villains are responding to the resistance. The art is excellent, especially on the villains' designs and action sequences. The visual flow is part of what makes the overall pacing work so well. There's a fantastic cover gallery at the end of this TPB, too! Written: October 18, 2017
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