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A review by trike
Brain Boy Volume 1: Psy vs. Psy by Jim Gibbons, Ariel Olivetti, Paolo Parigi, R.B. Silva, Fred Van Lente, Freddie E. Williams II
3.0
This is a reboot of a short-lived comic from the early 1960s that I had never heard of before. It’s interesting in that it’s more of a spy thriller than a superhero comic, although it was clearly comfortable in that genre.
From what snippets I can find, the original was more along the lines of [b:The Spirit Archives, Vol. 1|602518|The Spirit Archives, Vol. 1|Will Eisner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1358136721s/602518.jpg|589095] by Will Eisner or [b:Steve Canyon|18161815|Steve Canyon|Milton Caniff|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372960565s/18161815.jpg|25522894] by Milton Caniff, except with psychic powers. Giving the main character an Hispanic girlfriend was pretty forward-thinking for 1961.
This reboot keeps all of the major pieces in place: psychic government agent, South American dictator, shadowy corporations up to no good, and updates it nicely. Kind of sad how so few things have changed in 50+ years.
It’s a fairly standard noir piece with double-crosses and triple-crosses, but enjoyable for all that. The artwork is nicely done, letting the story flow without getting in the way. I’ve already ordered the next one, to see where the story goes.
From what snippets I can find, the original was more along the lines of [b:The Spirit Archives, Vol. 1|602518|The Spirit Archives, Vol. 1|Will Eisner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1358136721s/602518.jpg|589095] by Will Eisner or [b:Steve Canyon|18161815|Steve Canyon|Milton Caniff|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372960565s/18161815.jpg|25522894] by Milton Caniff, except with psychic powers. Giving the main character an Hispanic girlfriend was pretty forward-thinking for 1961.
This reboot keeps all of the major pieces in place: psychic government agent, South American dictator, shadowy corporations up to no good, and updates it nicely. Kind of sad how so few things have changed in 50+ years.
It’s a fairly standard noir piece with double-crosses and triple-crosses, but enjoyable for all that. The artwork is nicely done, letting the story flow without getting in the way. I’ve already ordered the next one, to see where the story goes.