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General InformationTitle: Heroes for Hire #1-3Author: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti Illustrator(s): This seems to have a rotating team in order to keep a schedule. It's primarily pencilled by Billy Tucci and inked by Tom Palmer, but Palmer pitched in on pencils and Francis Porela pitched in with both areas in the course of three issues. Original Publication Date: Cover dated October through December 2006. Cover Price: Each issue is cover price $2.99 US or $3.75 Canadian. Past comic reviews can be found here. PremiseMisty Knight and Colleen Wing have restarted Heroes for Hire, and they've been hired by the government to hunt unregistered heroes. The team includes Shang Chi (Master of Kung-Fu), Humbug (ex-con master of communicating with insects), Black Cat (yes, that one), Orka (a big bruiser I don't recognize), Paladin (a mercenary that I also don't recognize), and the new Tarantula, who is by far the most intersting character of the bunch. High PointTarantula's conversations with Reed Richards and Tony Stark. Marvel's loaded with brilliant characters: Reed, Tony, Hank Pym, Victor von Doom, and even the Leader. Note that none are female. Before now, Shadowcat was the most intelligent woman in Marvel's universe, and she wasn't in the same league as these others. This Tarantula is, but she's got a clear mean streak, too. I like the way she plays off the others well enough that I'm tempted to keep collecting this title just for her. Low PointThe extreme attempts to play up the sexiness of the characters. I'm not just talking about dialogue; I'm talking about drawing characters from such a high angle that you can't make out any details on their faces, but Colleen's hair still swings far enough to the side to reveal her butt cleavage. The ScoresThis is a somewhat original title. It's a relaunch without the previous leads, but with characters connected to them. The main story is a "yet another hero hunter" deal, which are cropping up with the Civil War, but there's a side story that starts to set this title apart from the rest. I give it 3 out of 6. The artwork gets the job done, but never impresses in any extreme way. (This could be a direct result of the number of bodies needed to finish the job.) The panel arrangements start great, but move to pedestrian and standard by the end of the set. I suspect that this would have been a superior product had it been allowed a delay with the other Civil War titles. I give it 4 out of 6. There are two stories running here. One is the direct connection to Civil War, with the Heroes getting hired to bring in Captain America. The other is a tangent to the Civil War, in which the Heroes discover a ring of Skrull organ implants which grant the recipients shape shifting abilities to avoid identification and registration. This story will be picked up and continued in issues 4 and 5. The plots connect nicely, and are well delivered. I give it 5 out of 6. The quality of the characterization varies wildly depending on the character we are discussing. Misty is well understood, as she narrates the entire story. Humbug and Tarantula are fairly well handled. Orka, Paladin, Black Cat, Shang-Chi and Colleen might have one clear character moment in the whole set. I still know next to nothing about Orka or Paladin, and I certainly didn't learn anything about the other three that I didn't already know from previous appearances. It's not like you can expect people to know Orka or Paladin, either; they need clear moments to let readers know exactly who they are. (I've read, literally, a couple thousand Marvel comics. If you're using characters I've never heard of, you're using characters a lot of readers have never heard of.) I give it 3 out of 6. The emotional response to the heroes in action is weak. Shang-Chi's shining moment was too predictable, as was the recruitment of the team. The new Tarantula is an interesting character, but the rest of the crew didn't really entice me to keep collecting the title. I give it 3 out of 6. The flow was well done, with a smooth transition from the Civil War title to the secondary storyline. I give it 6 out of 6. Overall, it's a decent title that may work very well over time. It needs a chance to let all the characters shine on their own, and it may get that once it's removed from the pressures of the Civil War. Some of the cast are definitely interesting, while others are simply there. I give it 4 out of 6, though I do believe the title will probably improve over time. In total, Heroes For Hire #1-3 receives 28 out of 42. Civil War Review Checklist
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