Written by: Kyle Higgins
Art by: Alex Siegel
Publisher: Image
Kyle Higgins and Alec Siegel are really killing it with this book. It’s a really great superhero story, and Higgins really seems to be in his element with creator owned books. Having control over the characters allows the authors to really take the characters and run with them, crafting a superhero story that is different from most other superhero stories. Sure, comparisons to books like Watchmen can be drawn, but this is undeniably different from that book. This book is dark gritty, but not in a way that makes me grown, but rather in a way that helps build my interest in the world in which this book takes place, and is actually a powerful device used to characterize the individuals in this book.
In fact, the reason that C.O.W.L. exists is because of how bad things got in Higgins, Siegel, and artist Rod Reis’ Chicago. As such, this tone benefits the plot, rather than simply feeling like an unnecessary addition to attract angsty readers. Anyways, the city of Chicago in C.O.W.L. feels like its own fleshed out character. The city has taken on its own identity, and is just as important to the story as the members of C.O.W.L. are. It’s kind of a pulpy setting, and this very much a pulp/noir book, which gives it a very cool feel. Again, this gives it a very different feel and tone from every other superhero book out there. C.O.W.L. ends up having been able to carve out a very distinct identity for itself.
The former superheroes that make up the cast of C.O.W.L. are also pretty awesome characters. All of them are extraordinarily nuanced and interesting people. Sure, we haven’t really seen them before, but even though we’re just being thrown into the world, and thrown into the lives of these character, I already feel like I’ve known them for years worth of issues. Sure, parts of their pasts remain mysterious, but little lines of dialogue and a couple flashbacks help to ease this problem. These are all heroes who are, for all intents and purposes, going through a mid life crisis. Grant Marlow has some serious anger issues, Geoffrey Warner is trying to keep C.O.W.L. in line, and John Pierce has some serious paranoia issues. All of them are trying to work through their issues, although they aren’t all having that much luck.
These aren’t the ideal people that heroes are supposed to be. For the most part, they’re just normal people, even the ones with powers are just trying to lead normal lives. As such, they have the same issues that normal people have based on their status. For example, Warner has to deal with all of the petty issues that that union leaders have to deal with, despite being the leader of a superhero union. All of the characters have to deal with normal problems, but also with the problems that come along with being a hero. These aren’t problems that people like Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne, but people who seem very, very real. And that’s great. This is what superhero comics should strive to be, comics that manage to connect with their readers.
