Supurbia #6 Review

Supurbia #6 Review
By: Jay

Welcome to Supurbia, the Wisteria Lane of the super hero world. Where the capes and the tights of comics meets the affairs between the sheets of soap operas. Follow the lives of the Meta Legion, the world’s premiere super hero team that not only fights crime but faces everyday family conflicts and personal relationships on a super scale.

Previously on Supurbia…. Alexis sets up the Athenai booth at Galactic Protection Systems Expo and she sets a plan in motion to buy Hunt Tech. While Paul is off-world telling his mother he is divorcing Alexis because he is in love with a man, the object of his affections, Gio is sent to infiltrate a top-secret weapons deal by Alexis. As Jeremy bonds with Eli, Batu asks Tia to do the unthinkable.

Thanks to some good friends over at Dark Avenger Inc I have been expanding my comic book pallet and been reading more independent comics. I have watched Grace Randolph's Youtube video news and reviews and I've seen her talking about her comic Supurbia for a while now, but it wasn’t until Comic Frontline’s Arnoldo Acosta did his news report “3 Comics to Read No DC/Marvel” where he recommends Superbia did I decide to pick it up.

Randolph's writing is more character and story driven than it is action. This series is repeatedly dubbed a “Super Hero Soap Opera” and I have to agree with that. Most will see that label and be put off by it because of the negative stigmas that soap operas are attached to. I would link it to more of a Prime-Time Drama you would find on the CW. While, yes, it does have some very classic and even boarderline cliché soap opera classics, it does so with a bit of the flare that you will find on Prime-Time. 

While Randolph delivers on the inner personal relationships and relationship drama, I think she could bring a little more action to the book. With this issue we did see some action with Tia (Aso) and then some more with Gio (Agent Twilight). While these scenes were well done, I would have liked them to be a little longer. I think Randolph could expand the action scenes and still deliver the personal conflicts through inner monologue. Or in Gio’s case, by utilizing the partnership with him and Paul (Night Fox).

While Russell Dauterman does a great job on the art, I thinks his style doesn’t suit the story Randolph is telling. There are parts where I can see his style complimenting Randolph’s story, but then I turn the page and the lack of detail takes me out of the setting. I think Dauterman is a very talented artist and his work would fit great with a more traditional comic setting and an artist like Steve McNiven, who’s art uses high detail and a more realistic style, fits the soap opera realism Randolph’s writing delivers.

At the end of the day I did enjoy the book. It has me curious enough to pick up the next issue and made me go back to my comic shop to pick up the first five issues as well. I recommend people who like character development books pick this up.

That’s how I feel about this book. Now let us know your opinions in the comments.