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A review by youngj
Static Shock, Vol. 1: Supercharged by Scott McDaniel, John Rozum, Marc Bernardin
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Kudos to the new team for penning a new Static adventure, praise to them for the things I liked and no shade to or harshness intended fo the things I don't. Different strokes as they say...
Plenty of action and adventure. I dig the new suit and flying discs that change shape based on his needs. The tech upgrades made possible by his ally Hardware and his internship at S.T.A.R. Labs is interesting, and Virgil/Static is just as devoted to his family as he ever was.
</But as a longtime reader of at least half of the original 90s run by McDuffie, I admit, I miss Virgil's friends and his dedication to the community of Dakota and the overall magic that the cartoon and original run had. Virgil/Static still cares about people no matter where he is but it just feels weird with him in NYC. The villains are whatever, although the reveal that the Pale Man is an undercover cop struggling with his identity possibly due to watered-down Joker Gas (?) was mildly interesting. But the Piranha crime boss is meh (and overuses the word punks a lot for my taste idk it just stood out), and all of the villains ... they just take up space to me. They're so uninteresting to me that I can't really describe them. I don't mean that to be a cop-out on being specific or constructive but it's just my impression after reading the book. It feels like all this super-mob stuff is just busywork.>
Admittedly I didn't read the early Teen Titans tie-ins. </I heard Static's last adventure before this book took a toll on him. Things get a little interesting with Sharon and the fact that she's got a clone but neither knows which is the original anymore. It would've been interesting to read more of how this impacted the Hawkins family with the superhero stuff being the B-plot, it's not balanced that well for me.> Also, the writing team doesn't know Hardware, he doesn't speak like he usually does and feels like a totally different character which really bugged me.
I like how they integrate Virgil's past in Dakota although it comes too late for me and maybe the story would've benefited from those reflections and reveals coming in earlier issues. Static is still a big nerd and it's fun to read his thoughts as he uses his cleverness to solve crimes, and it's cool seeing him feel more comfortable in his own skin having lived in Dakota, that was fascinating.
All in all the book was fine and I think the NYC adventures carry it and get a little better later when things get more personal for his family. They tried new things it's just for me they didn't all work. </I honestly think that if the Hawkins family dynamics took center stage as the investigation into Sharon's clone which then bleeds into the NYC underworld gaining power it would have made for a more interesting book.> Not to be funny but I think the book lacked some of Static's classic soul. He fights villains, sure, but his personal life is just as if not more interesting than him being a superhero. Glad the book exists and there are still things to enjoy about it. If you're new to Static entirely, you might even love it.
Plenty of action and adventure. I dig the new suit and flying discs that change shape based on his needs. The tech upgrades made possible by his ally Hardware and his internship at S.T.A.R. Labs is interesting, and Virgil/Static is just as devoted to his family as he ever was.
</But as a longtime reader of at least half of the original 90s run by McDuffie, I admit, I miss Virgil's friends and his dedication to the community of Dakota and the overall magic that the cartoon and original run had. Virgil/Static still cares about people no matter where he is but it just feels weird with him in NYC. The villains are whatever, although the reveal that the Pale Man is an undercover cop struggling with his identity possibly due to watered-down Joker Gas (?) was mildly interesting. But the Piranha crime boss is meh (and overuses the word punks a lot for my taste idk it just stood out), and all of the villains ... they just take up space to me. They're so uninteresting to me that I can't really describe them. I don't mean that to be a cop-out on being specific or constructive but it's just my impression after reading the book. It feels like all this super-mob stuff is just busywork.>
Admittedly I didn't read the early Teen Titans tie-ins.
I like how they integrate Virgil's past in Dakota although it comes too late for me and maybe the story would've benefited from those reflections and reveals coming in earlier issues. Static is still a big nerd and it's fun to read his thoughts as he uses his cleverness to solve crimes, and it's cool seeing him feel more comfortable in his own skin having lived in Dakota, that was fascinating.
All in all the book was fine and I think the NYC adventures carry it and get a little better later when things get more personal for his family. They tried new things it's just for me they didn't all work.