The Dragon's Cache: Local Man #9 Review

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Local Man #9 Review

Writer: Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley

Artist: Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley

Colorist: Brad Simpson & Felipe Sobreiro

Cover Artists: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs, Jim Valentino & Brian Reber

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 31, 2023

Ben Xaver dislikes his son patrolling Farmington. Police Chief Brian Bucholz doesn’t want Jack Xaver investigating Mackenzie Cheng’s death. Inga Johanning-Bucholz used her body to dissuade her former boyfriend from looking into the young woman’s mysterious drowning. How will everyone react when Jack uncovers Inga's complicity in Mackenzie's death? Let’s leap into Local Man #9 and find out!

Story

He was CrossJack, a valued member of the Third Gen superhero team. His team leader, Camo Crusader, valued Jack’s supernatural accuracy. Recently, Police Chief Brian Bucholz sent Jack to question the Star Tribe commune. The hippies dosed Jack with drugs that revealed people’s thoughts and feelings and helped him connect those with what he discovered on his patrols. Officer Alan Kopecki gave Jack the ownership address listed for the storage shed where Inga kept the bodies of the 4th Gen superheroes Jack trained with. Jack thought Brian abducted his superpowered counterparts. Then Jack realized Inga was behind the secret project to harvest and manufacture their superpowers.

In Local Man #9, Brian overhears Jack’s phone conversation with Inga. Brian tried to help Jack. In return, Jack slept with his wife! The distraught Police Chief imprisons Jack. On the verge of pulling off her public relations coup—The Farmington Future Forum--Inga realizes that the jig is up. But can she escape Farmington with her family and the income from her secret operation? And what about Jack’s morally superior father? Can Jack resolve his differences with Ben and mend their damaged relationship?

Tony Fleecs and Tim Seeley's story tackles the mental and physical toll of trying to fix something broken. Their tale rewards readers by resolving mysteries peppered through earlier issues. Jack steps up from a disdained Local Man to become a hero. While Jack grows closer to some people, he turns others against him. This rousing finale of the Dry Season arc ends in tragedy for Jack, Brian, Inga, and the residents of Farmington, Wisconsin. It demonstrates how love can turn to hate and transform a good and caring person into someone who uses others to enrich and empower themselves.

Art

Tony Fleecs' art has a charming hand-drawn appeal. He even borders his panels with wobbly lines. Yet his characters exude humanity, and their expressions reveal their feelings and insecurities. You don’t need Jack’s dope-ignited superhero intuition to feel Seascape’s rage, Rudy’s agony, or the rideshare driver’s recognition that he might have misjudged Jack. Even wearing his balaclava, you sense Jack’s bewilderment as he struggles to comprehend Inga’s monstrous actions. As in previous issues, Pepper stays by Jack's side as he navigates these difficulties. The family dog symbolizes themes such as belonging, acceptance, and forgiveness.

Brad Simpson's nuanced coloring enhances Tony Fleecs’ art in Local Man #9. His limited palette imbues panels with texture and tonal variation. The colors vary from subdued to vibrant and are always appealing. While the backup story starts in Black and White, Felipe Sobreiro introduces color to Tony Fleecs and Tim Seeley’s art at a pivotal point. His choices enhance the energy flowing through the confrontation between Inga, Camo Crusader, and a familiar supervillain.

Uppercase black letters fill wobbly dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Colorful sound effects help us hear fireworks, impacts, and fire enveloping a young woman. Yet what lingers is how Seascape’s flowing yellow dialogue enhances all her appearances.

Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.