Welcome to the next installment of I WANT MORE, a fanfic review feature.
Today's offering is HEROES FOR HIRE #3-8 at AVENGERS2000 written by Travis Hiltz. Find it at http://www.ironrodstudio.com/av2000/issue.asp?titleid=HIRE
If you've ever read any of my fanfic, you probably have guessed that I like my comicbook superheroes larger than life. I'm happiest right in the middle of a senses-shattering widescreen Technicolor war between good and evil with the Earth and humanity hanging in the balance that features one (or more) of the following things: gods, giant monsters (preferably insect-themed), death ray devices, explosions visible for miles, heroes pushing their powers to the limits, and - if possible - monkeys. That's just how I roll.
However, every once in a while it's a lot of fun to see how the other half lives, over where the power levels are scaled way down and the biggest crises involve an office being burgled by a villain with a gimmick, or a bank robbery by a guy in a semi-hi-tech suit. That's the phrase that kept occurring to me as I read Travis's run on Heroes For Hire. No, not "semi-hi-tech suit." "A lot of fun."
The centerpieces of Heroes For Hire are, of course, Power Man and Iron Fist, hearkening back to the days when Luke Cage went from solo "Hero for Hire" to an official partnership with Daniel Rand. Travis does a really good job of showing the two different personalities of his leads, as Cage frequently cracks wise and acts generally put upon, while Danny tries to be the mellow one (because, you see, he's been trained in the Eastern arts) and also tries to be the responsible one who can make the business of being a superhero a profitable one. I was predisposed to like these two characters, thanks to my unhealthy levels of 1980s nostalgia, but Travis brings some solid banter and good storytelling to sweeten the pot.
The real hoot, though, is the supporting cast. Demolition Man (yeah, the scruffy, homeless ex-wrestler and erstwhile Avenger). The Blonde Phantom (yeah, the Timely comics heroine who got rejuveated in John Byrne's She-Hulk). Red Raven (no, not that one, an original creation borrowing the name). Deathlok (man, don't even ask which one, you have to read it for yourself). The Black Knight (yeah, the other erstwhile Avenger who was also in the 90s version of H4H). The Blue Diamond, Blade and Ant-Man all make appearances as well. Blade's cameo is particularly amusing, especially thanks to the running joke Travis uses whenever describing Blade's physical looks (I won't spoil it. Trust me. It's funny.)
None of these heroes is likely to, for instance, play a crucial role in a climactic battle in space on a floating platform of white marble squaring off against Thanos and Death, or stare down Doctor Doom without blinking. (OK, maybe Black Knight in certain writers' hands. Maybe.) No, these are heroes where you could team up three or four of them against Stilt-Man and THEY HAVE A HARD TIME TAKING STILT-MAN DOWN. (I am not making that up.) Travis makes all of these characters, from Power Man and Iron Fist on down, seem very human, both when they do the beating-up-bad-guys thing, and also as they deal with their mundane lives and concerns like keeping in touch with family, making money, or just feeling good about themselves and their place in the world. It gives the series a lot of heart. There's a heavy element of humor, but it's not a farce and it's not unrealistic - life is just funny sometimes.
According to my painstaking research (performed by monkeys under threat of death-ray), the last time Travis put forth an issue of Heroes For Hire was back in June of 2006. This makes Heroes For Hire #8 eligible for the 2006 Vengies but it also makes Heroes For Hire extremely eligible for the ol' begging and pleading from yours truly. So I hope everyone will check out Heroes For Hire and enjoy the fun, and then join me in harrassing Travis to continue the story he left off on, which involved D-Man working to clear his name in a murder charge and Cage and Fist trying to extricate themselves from a set-up ...
Say it with me now, loud enough for Travis to hear you ... I WANT MORE!!!