Local Man #13 Review

 

Writers: Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs

Artists: Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley

Colorists: Brad Simpson & Felipe Sobreiro

Cover Artists: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs, John Stinsman & Brian Reber

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 21, 2024

 

Inga killed Jack’s father. Jack wants to kill her. His mother, Lila, wants to be a sacrifice. Like the rest of The Faceless Horde, she’d rather have the world she wants than the one she lives in. Can anyone save Farmington? Or will The Price’s death cult destroy Jack and Inga’s hometown? Let's leap into Local Man #13 and find out!

 

Story

Brian Bucholz got mad. He beat up Jack Xaver. But he also told Jack the truth. His wife, Inga, killed Ben Xaver. Jack once loved Inga. Jack teamed up with Inga to save Farmington from The Price. But in telling Jack that Inga poisoned his dad, Brian shattered Jack’s image of Inga.

 

Alan Kopecki hoped Crossjack, the former superhero, could save Farmington. Then he learned that Jack and Inga kidnapped his boss, Police Chief Brian Bucholz. Jack has manipulated him and disrespected the rule of law long enough. Brian organizes local law enforcement and sets up a roadblock to apprehend Jack and bar him from returning to Farmington.

 

Inga loved Jack. Inga loved Farmington. When Jack abandoned her and the future she envisioned, she got mad. Then Inga got even. She conspired with the government and Camo Crusader. Although she used the profits to benefit her town, she harmed a lot of people and scarred her soul. In Local Man #13, Farmington needs her. It's time for Inga to make the right choices and be a hero.

 

Jack returned to Farmington after Camo Crusader kicked him off Third Gen. His former friends and neighbors regarded him with disdain. Gen Corp’s legal actions forced Jack to adopt an alias. But Jack no longer wishes to be Crossjack. He doesn't even want to be called Local Man. His superhero power is his accuracy. Jack has grown beyond the ability to hit any stationary or moving target. Now, his superpower is zeroing in on the truth, assessing what motivates people, and using reason to help people make healthier choices.

 

Ironically, a series celebrating '90s comics and superheroes received a Best New Series Eisner nomination in 2024. But then, Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs blend delicious ironies into every issue. Jack's former friends and neighbors disdain Jack for sleeping with Neon. Yet her husband, Camo Crusader, asked him to have sex with her. Camo Crusader wanted Jack to father the next generation. Yet he killed the teens in 4^th Gen to harvest their powers. After Stacy Wohl’s death, a dog everyone adores is the only one capable of containing a hate-filled alien god. An anti-fungal drug killed his father, yet a fungus gave Jack lasting insights into human nature. In Local Man #13, everyone hates Inga, but she can become a hero and undo some of the harm she has caused.

 

Art

The Price and Lila Xaver walk through a field of chest-high grain. Lila's helmet visor closes when she sees the house where she and Ben raised Jack. Two locals paint over the street sign that once honored the town's heroes. Jack carries Pepper from the storage shed where Inga stored Fourth Gen's bodies. When Jack mentions that he needs weapons, the driver wearing a Metallica shirt opens the tailgate of a truck he named after a novel that inspired people to acts of kindness and respect. Then, he gives Jack the means to hurt people.

 

Brad Simpson & Felipe Sobreiro lavish attractive colors on Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley’s art in Local Man #13. Snow falls through the pink and gray sky, while green, blue, and purple decorate dimly lit interiors. As the driver and Jack head toward Farmington, they stop before glaring red and blue. Colors grow bolder and more nuanced when Tony Fleecs pays homage to a ‘90s tradition and forces you to flip the comic sideways to enjoy a superhero shot of Local Man loaded for bear. Brad Simpson honors a fallen hero with yellow and green, while Felipe Sobreiro breathes life into Third Gen’s Air Raider and a famous 90s Image superhero in the closing flashback.

 

Uppercase black letters fill dialogue balloons. Words embolden for inflection, swell for raised voices, and rarely shrink. Sound effects help us hear Jack storm a firing squad, superheroes battle The Price, and a supernatural entity rise to claim its prize in Local Man #13. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Jack discards the last vestiges of his superhero identity and wields honesty and reason as his weapons in Local Man #13. The villains romanticize the past and fantasize about building a future on faded dreams. Jack’s message: honor the past but embrace today. Make every second count!

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Local Man #12 Review

 

Writers: Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley

Artists: Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley

Colorists: Brad Simpson, Allen Passalaqua & Felipe Sobreiro

Cover Artists: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs, Jerry Ordway & Brian Reber

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 24, 2024

 

Jack and Rudy found Stacy Wohl’s body in a cabin in the woods. Jack also found Police Chief Brian Bucholz’ wife imprisoned there. Former Vice President Dan Quayle appears when the Frightside leaves Stacy Wohl's corpse to sample what Jack, Rudy, and Inga have to offer. The angry god dislikes how they taste, but it hates the flavor of Dan Quayle’s Secret Service agents. So, who did the Frightside accept as a new host? And how can Jack, Inga, and Rudy combat the latest threat to their town? Let's dig out our 90s Image superhero T-shirts, leap into Local Man #12, and find out!

 

Story

Rudy isn’t wild about seeing her old boss at Auntie Inga’s Bakery again. Inga Johanning-Bucholz gave Rudy the ability to generate industrial-grade bio-lubricant. Then Inga set Rudy on fire. Rudy knows Inga also bears responsibility for Seascape flooding Farmington. She grows increasingly angry as Jack confers with his former girlfriend. Jack is a superhero. He shouldn’t team up with a supervillain!

 

Are villains born or made? In Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley's series, Inga was a good person. But after Jack abandoned her for a glamorous life with Third Gen, Inga vowed to stay in her small town and be successful no matter what. She may not have become a millionaire, but her dirty deeds didn’t come dirt cheap. She conspired with Jack’s team leader, Camo Crusader, to rob the teen heroes in Fourth Gen of their powers and sell them to the highest bidder. After her former friends and neighbors shunned her, Inga welcomes Jack's reliance on her. Her answers highlight how much all the members of Third Gen, even Neon, used Jack. However, Inga's comments and actions in Local Man #12 suggest she has not shed her manipulative ways.

 

After seeing a flood destroy his adoptive hometown and learning of Inga's affair with Jack, Brian Bucholz broke. The police chief gave up on his job, sent his children to live with his brother, and sought solace in religion. When Father Leo's church failed to fill the aching void, Brian joined the new cult that took up residence in the community center. The Faceless Horde fills Brian with contentment, and he spends his days in the former Fourth Gen training facility. The Price helps Brian and her followers glimpse alternative versions of themselves. She promises that they can visit these parallel worlds. But Jack knows from his time in Third Gen that her promises are lies, and her followers invariably die.

 

Jack experienced much that this world and others had to offer. Yet he’s matured since he returned to Farmington in disgrace. Now, he fights for the town he couldn't wait to leave without desiring to profit from his exploits in any way. But Jack will need more allies than Inga, Rudy, and his dog Pepper to battle The Faceless Horde. Freeing people from The Price's influence will likely reawaken their anger at him. He may no longer be Crossjack. But even if he killed Camo Crusader, Jack is a superhero because he fights to save others from danger and death in Local Man #12.

 

Art

Jack and Inga ignore Rudy's frantic gestures as they confer like confidants. Inga kneels beside a body in a pool of slime, then rises clutching a pointy stick. A cloaked leader preaches to her armored followers. They incinerate the clothes they shed and the photographs they clung to with laser rifles. Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley's art preserves the homespun quality of their small-town tale. Their backup story portrays a Catholic priest who evokes Reverend Henry Kane more than Father Leo. The priest takes a page out of King Julien's book when he grabs a young boy and drags him up to the mouth of a volcano. But the boy’s fate will differ from Melman’s in Local Man #12.

 

Brad Simpson and Allen Passalaqua color Inga's storage shed in red, pink, purple, and green. As Jack bends to clasp Brian's hand, blue smoke rises amid the darkness surrounding the mesmerized police chief. Does Brian kneel to pick up Jack's gray dog because he shares the otherworldly anger that Pepper swallowed? Blue shards radiate from Brian’s face, portraying alternate worlds against a green background. Felipe Sobreiro colors the smoky air surrounding silhouettes orange and gray. A boy in a green T-shirt with a red, white, and green face tumbles into a smoky yellow pool. He emerges adorned with all those colors and more.

 

Uppercase black letters fill dialogue balloons. Dialogue emboldens for inflection, swells for raised voices, and rarely shrinks. Sound effects help us hear Pepper craving attention, a visor sliding over a familiar face, Jack spitting blood, Rudy slime-skiing, and a volcano erupting in Local Man #12. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When pain and loss engulf Farmington, a cult empowers the locals to refuse the hand fate dealt them and reach for a better one. Local Man #12 takes on the plight of small-town America and questions our belief in our unalienable rights.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Local Man #11 Review

 

Writer: Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley

Artist: Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley

Colorist: Brad Simpson & Felipe Sobreiro

Cover Artists: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs, Tom Raney & Brian Reber

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 3, 2024

 

Jack Xaver fled small-town life to enjoy the glamorous life as the superhero Crossjack. When Camo Crusader fired him, he returned in disgrace but saved his hometown regardless of what they thought of him. When the TV news blamed him for the death of his former superhero boss, Jack fled his grieving mother and left his town in ruins. A plea from his priest, Father Leo, brought him back yet again. Can Jack cure the disease afflicting this small Wisconsin town? Let’s leap into Local Man #11 and find out!

 

Story

Jack’s neighbors rebuilt Farmington after Seascape flooded the town and drowned seventeen people. Then, they donated their possessions to Father Leo's church. Like Sybok's supplicants, they spend their days in the 4^th Gen building, gaining strength by sharing their tales of woe. Police Chief Brian Bucholz no longer cares about Jack's affair with his wife. Like her late husband Ben and their dog Pepper, Lila Xaver consigns her son Jack to the past.

 

Jack recognizes the malaise and calls Cutting Edge for help in Local Man #11. Jack explains that the same cancer that once afflicted a town in Oklahoma has infected Farmington. But after Camo Crusader kicked Jack out of Third Gen, Cutting Edge handed Jack the Cease And Desist order that forced Jack to adopt his Local Man alias. The media’s assertion that Jack murdered Camo Crusader prompted Gen Corp to shut down Third Gen. So Cutting Edge pleads his hands are bound and ends the call to have sex with battle drones.

 

Jack had a team armed with high-tech weapons to combat this strange cult in Oklahoma. This time, he lacks a spaceship, armor, or experienced teammates. Jack can work his magic on Officer Alan Kopecki. Twenty bucks secures Rudy's services. His rideshare buddy can take them where Jack needs to go. But is Jack ready for what he’ll find at a lonely cabin in the woods?

 

Jack's rough homecoming and illegal investigations as Local Man gave him a new beginning. He recognizes the emptiness of his former life. In Local Man #11, Jack braves danger to save others from those who value causes over people. He takes on the establishment to protect people who disdain him. Or at least, people who won't stand beside him, even if they know they owe him their lives. Potayto, potahto.

 

Art

Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley fill pages with relatable characters, whether they’re pulling a gun on Jack, flashing him a dumb smile, or slashing through humanoid metal robots. Compelling scenes bring reality to this superhero tale, showing Local Man standing outside the 4^th Gen building, riding through the snow in the rideshare driver’s new truck, or taking down drones outside a building. Yet the extraordinary nature of the art compels. Jack discovers an inhuman science experiment, a public figure confronts him, and a leader dons a helmet and uniform that evokes Cobra Commander.

 

Brad Simpson and Felipe Sobreiro apply bright and appealing colors to Local Man #11. While the police station features greens and browns, blue snow falls before a purple sky. Turquoise smoke rises from a body lying in a bath of green fluid, while a haunting memory turns Jack's yellow and blue outfit pink, and a yellow sun blazes in his left eye before a bright red background. A bonus pinup by Kurt Belcher and Sean Baggs poses an intriguing question. If the Evil Dead sidelined Ash, how might Crossjack fare against the Army Of Darkness?

 

Uppercase black letters fill dialogue balloons, and white letters fill green-and-black narrative boxes in Local Man #11. Enlarged, pink lettering announces a change of mind, while sound effects help us hear Jack kick down a door, security agents go to pieces, and an ancient alien god speaks. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

A terrorist cult feeds on Farmington’s loss, Jack Xaver takes on the government, Rudy demonstrates an intriguing link between intelligence and superpowers, and Jack's pooch Pepper develops an unhealthy hunger in Local Man #11. After her husband’s death, will Lila Xaver become a Gun Tote’n Mama?

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Local Man #10 Review

 

Writer: Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley

Artist: Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley

Colorist: Brad Simpson & Felipe Sobreiro

Cover Artists: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs, Whilce Portacio & Brian Reber

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 22, 2024

 

Jack’s 3^rd Gen boss, Camo Crusader, imprisoned his 4^th Gen recruits. Jack’s girlfriend, Inga, helped Camo harvest and sell their superpowers. Yet even as the teens’ bodies died, some of their spirits remained. Driven mad by Camo Crusader and Inga’s betrayal, former 4^th Gen recruit Seascape summoned a tidal wave. Jack rallied the locals and saved Farmington. But how do the townspeople feel about Jack killing Camo Crusader? Let’s leap into Local Man #10 and find out!

 

Story

Police Chief Brian Bucholz warned Jack that people would like him less when they learned he killed Camo Crusader. It doesn't matter that Jack prevented his former boss from killing the Police Chief. Brian had called in the death. He promised to write a report that justified Jack's actions. But someone leaked a video of Camo's death to the TV news channels, while Brian's report got mired in bureaucracy.

 

All this comes to a head in Local Man #10 when Farmington comes together to commemorate Jack's dad. After Father Leo praises Benjamin's public service, the parishioners assure the grieving widow that God will comfort her. Then, as they face the son Benjamin left behind, they disparage Jack.

 

Father Leo mentions that he needs Local Man’s help. His mother looks to Jack for support. But Deputy Alan Kopecki waits outside with two FBI officers. Instead of accompanying them to the station, Jack takes his dog Pepper and runs away.

 

Jack has made a habit of running away from Farmington. The first time, it was because he pulled a stunt that impressed Camo Crusader and the 3^rd Gen Public Relations agent. Now, Jack runs away to his former teammate. He shares Neon's vacation house in Joshua Tree, California, where the sunlight charges her superpowered body, allowing her to perpetuate the mist that keeps the authorities away. But Jack and Neon are getting on each other's nerves. Worse, she blames him for Camo Crusader's death. Neon loves her husband despite his faults and understands why Jack killed him. Still, living with his killer isn't easy. So when Father Leo requests Local Man’s aid, Neon packs Jack a duffle bag.

 

In Local Man #10, Tony Fleecs and Tim Seeley remind us how the media controls our perceptions. They also demonstrate how people can come together to accomplish something worthwhile. But most of all, they suggest the importance of having a goal in life. Jack accomplishes good things wherever he goes. But his lack of focus allows others to manipulate him. How much more might Jack accomplish if he had a plan?

 

Art

Father Leo conducts the open casket service. Flowers fill the church and surround a portrait of Jack's father. Yet outside, hazy sunlight reveals the town in ruins and construction workers hauling away the wreckage. Lila rests her head on Jack's shoulders. Ben's death and the town's destruction have drained Father Leo. Once again, anger contorts Lila’s features as she thrusts Pepper into Jack’s hands, and he runs away.

 

TV images portray journalists, Gen Corp’s owner, and 3^rd Gen members Neon and Soft Kore. They also replay Jack’s singular instance of archery effectiveness. Jack is appalled by the 3^rd Gen's flashy replacements. He reclines on Neon's couch while she stretches on a yoga mat. A mist obscures the few plants that sprout outside the one-story desert home.

 

Brad Simpson’s appealing colors bring depth to Tony Fleecs’ art in Local Man #10. Jack's green shirt and Neon's blue-green workout clothes remind us of their complicated relationship. Yet her body and clothes glow pink when she grows angry and remind us of the mist outside. The subdued coloring of Jack’s wandering life contrasts with the poster art of Gen Corp’s new superhero team. Green and pink feature heavily, and the vivid tones make the image glow. Felipe Sobreiro lavishes similarly bold, bright colors on Tim Seeley's art when Crossjack and Soft Kore visit a Hollywood nightclub.

 

Uppercase black letters fill dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Even in panels packed with dialogue, the arrangement is easy to follow in Local Man #10. Colorful sound effects help us hear Father Leo’s attempts to contact Jack, Neon hastily packing Jack’s clothes, and gunshots ring out in a crowded nightclub. Black and green badges with white print identify potential weapons should Local Man need to fend off a vengeful opponent.

 

Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Jack abandons his home, family, and neighbors again, only to return and find Farmington radically changed in Local Man #10. But has his hometown changed for better or worse?

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Local Man: Bad Girls Special Review

 

Writers & Artists: Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley

Colorists: Brad Simpson, Felipe Sobreiro & Brian Reber

Cover Artists: Tim Seeley & Brian Reber

Publisher: Image

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 27, 2024

 

Inga wanted to save Farmington, but compromising her principles destroyed her marriage, cost people their lives, and left her town in ruins. Now, Inga lives as a fugitive and hides under an assumed name. But 3^rd Gen, CrossJack’s former superhero team, has government resources. What happens when Neon, Camo Crusader’s husband and Jack’s former lover, finds Inga? Let’s don our balaclavas, leap into the Local Man: Bad Girls Special, and find out!

 

Story

Inga takes orders in an all-night diner. Yet she drops plates and makes excuses for her failing job skills. She may go by the name Vicki, but a customer recognizes her. Then he fades away to reveal Neon. As Neon suggests Inga share her booth, fog fills the diner. Neon’s superpowers will shield their conversation from others more effectively than a fake name could ever obscure Inga’s identity.

 

Inga refuses to admit the disaster in Farmington was her fault. She tries to blame it all on Jack. But Neon cuts her argument short. Jack Xaver may have been Inga’s boyfriend before he left Farmington, but Neon worked with him for years. Jack had his faults, but he didn’t cause the Farmington fiasco. Inga funded her restaurant and the Farmington Future Forum by entombing 4^th Gen in tanks, draining the young heroes’ superpowers, and selling them to the highest bidder. In addition to killing her world’s future heroes, Jack’s father—and Inga’s friend and business partner—also died. Did Inga kill Ben Xaver?

 

Inga refuses to answer. So, in the Local Man: Bad Girl’s Special, Neon tells her about another woman who cared too much. Dr. Monique Galludet wanted to protect her planet against ecological collapse. So she took a leaf out of Thanos’ book, adopted the name The Sixth Extinction, and opted for radical remedies to Earth’s ills. Neon's tale underlines the 4^th Gen’s promise, but Inga won’t accept responsibility for their deaths.

 

A second story about the late Stacey Wohl, aka Frightside, who drew on the powers of an angry god from another dimension, should provoke remorse. Instead, Inga justifies her actions. She insists she is more worthy than others, which entitles her to steal their powers. So, Neon stops talking about others and shares her tragic past.

 

Local Man: Bad Girl's Special reminds us that actions have consequences. When we act out of pain or anger--like The Sixth Extinction, Frightside, and Neon--we hurt others. When we use people to gain an advantage, like Inga and Camo Crusader, we also injure ourselves. Anyone can be a villain. But Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs’ story suggests that it's never too late to turn your life around and become the superhero of your story. 

 

 

 

Art

Ribbons of orange cloud stretch across the evening sky, yet those inside the diner display no happiness or wonder. Neon's demeanor evokes a mentor chastising a promising student. The Sixth Extinction looks slim and athletic but also unbalanced. A mirror ball in a disco evokes an earlier era. Some superheroines will remind fans of 90s Image comics. Others first appeared in previous issues of Local Man. While Tony Fleecs & Tim Seeley have never avoided adult situations, Local Man: Bad Girls Special contains female nudity. Be warned.

 

Brad Simpson, Felipe Sobreiro, and Brian Reber apply a loaded palette to each page. Panels display texture. Light and shadows create depth. Characters always emerge from backgrounds. The Sixth Extinction’s green hair hints at her frantic hunger to heal our ecosystem, while an aqua blue or teal character reveals a healthier link. Pink dominates Local Man Special: Bad Girls. Neon is no Barbie. Yet she burns with pink energy that manifests as light and fog. Where better to display a sparkling mirror ball than in a story suffused with pink?

 

Large uppercase black letters fill dialogue balloons. Smaller, lowercase words fill narrative boxes in Frightside’s tale. Colorful sound effects relate the mundane sounds of cooking, doorbells, and sizzling food until Neon's laughter fills the air, and she relates her haunting and explosive origins.

 

Artist Selina J contributes six pinups to Local Man: Bad Girls Special. Her images have a dreamy, noir quality that evokes the paperbacks once relegated to thrift stores but now prized by collectors. Fact sheets on Frightside, Neon, Seascape, and The Sixth Extinction recall the 90s trading card craze. In a series where perspectives differ radically, these objective histories cast additional insights into the characters in Fleecs and Seeley’s superhero universe.

 

Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Two women meet in a diner. Inga craves either punishment or absolution. Instead, Neon offers enlightenment. Local Man: Bad Girls Special offers additional insights into Fleecs and Seeley’s superhero universe and a jumping-on point for mature readers.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

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.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Jack gains a critic's respect, destroys his friends' lives, protects his neighbors, fights a demon, and incurs the wrath of a nation in Local Man #9.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Local Man #8 Review

 

Writer: Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs

Artist: Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs

Colorist: Brad Simpson & Felipe Sobreiro

Cover Artists: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs, Shelby Robertson & Brian Reber

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 27, 2023

 

Mackenzie Chang was a member of Inga’s Farmington Future Forum. The police chief’s wife used the trio to revive public pride in the community. But Mackenzie died on dry land with water in her lungs. After investigating the Star Tribe commune, Jack spoke with Craig Massen, another of Inga’s promising young students. Craig claimed Mackenzie was hearing voices. Was she cracking up, as Craig claims? And was Mackenzie’s death suicide, murder, or something else? Let’s leap into Local Man #8 and find out!

 

Story

The hippie camp leader Coochie Coo told Jack that his superpower wasn’t his physical accuracy but listening to his Inner Voice. Following his instincts, Jack's investigation leads him to an abandoned shed. Inside, he finds the rotting corpses of the 4^th Gen team. Jack vows to get justice for Mackenzie and the young superheroes.

 

Jack’s always been obsessed with his public profile. In Local Man #8, Jack guesses at other people’s feelings and forges a bond with Officer Kopecki. Some accuse him of being high. Jack knows Coochie Coo slipped him some magic mushrooms. Still, Jack believes the hippie was right about him. Strangely, even though those closest to him doubt this, many in town seem to be changing their minds about Jack.

 

In Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs's story, Jack’s departure to join 3^rd Gen left Inga alone in a failing town. His forlorn girlfriend vowed to do whatever it took to make Farmington great again. Inga made a terrible choice by agreeing to experiment with 4^th Gen personnel. Now, she conducts an affair with Jack, trying to steer him away from the truth. When the truth comes to light in Local Man #8, how will the revelation affect her relationship with Jack and her husband?

 

 

 

Art

Opening panels suggest Jack’s father unknowingly helped Inga move the cryotubes holding 4^th Gen teammates into her warehouse. Camo Crusader's appearances in Local Man #8 hint that his death haunts Jack and Inga. Jack's former girlfriend looks world-weary as she struggles with her guilt over the 4^th Gen’s fate and Mackenzie’s death. As he engages with others, Jack’s empathy shines through his balaclava. His impossibly old dog Pepper looks young, both in appearance and outlook. Frightside’s demon haunts and awes.

 

Brad Simpson and Felipe Sobreiro’s nuanced coloring enhances the visual appeal of Seeley and Fleec’s art in Local Man #8. Jack’s Inner Voice fills the air with waves of color. These bright colors wash back upon Jack's features. Simpson and Sobreiro show darkened interiors with blues and grays that never obscure the art. The demon's emergence in a green bathroom provides a clue to the meaning behind its statements. In the concluding short story, a colored Jack wanders through Black-And-White pages portraying Inga's journey, almost as if he's watching scenes from an old family movie. But then, Inga would have been Jack’s family had he remained in Farmington.

 

 

 

Uppercase black letters fill dialogue balloons and boxes. The artistic touches applied to both enhance scenes with emotions and ambiance. Colorful sound effects help us feel Inga’s anger, Brian’s frustration, and the demon’s rage.

 

Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As Inga’s house of cards looks likely to tumble, and a demon haunts Farmington’s Chief Of Police, Jack discovers an unexpected ability in Local Man #8.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Local Man #7 Review

 

Writer: Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs

Artist: Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs

Colorist: Brad Simpson & Felipe Sobreiro

Cover Artists: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs, Norm Rapmund & Brian Reber

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 22, 2023

 

Jack (“Don’t call me Crossjack”) Xaver has a new mission. Farmington Police Chief Brian Bucholz asked him to investigate a mysterious drowning death. What will Jack learn when he visits the Star Tribe commune? Let's leap into Local Man #7 and find out!

 

Story

The police found Mackenzie Cheng on dry land. Yet she had water in her lungs. The 16-year-old was one of Farmington’s future stars. The Star Tribe camped in Black River State Park. It's the nearest source of water. The hippies won't talk to the police. But before Bucholz sends Jack in, he warns: ask about Mackenzie and nothing else!

 

As Jack walks along the river, a voice calls out. He falls into the water. Spotting two men, he throws billiard balls at them. A man named Coochie Coo awakens him. In the yurt called the House Of Hearts, Coochie suggests Jack’s superpower isn’t his aim but his inner voice. Jack takes the hippie’s advice. Disregarding Bucholz’s orders, Jack visits Craig Massen, another youth on the poster in Inga's bakery café. Perhaps Craig can give him some clues regarding Mackenzie’s mysterious death.

 

In Local Man #3, Jack met with Stacy Wohl. She no longer used the name Frightside, but she mourned Hodag’s death. The villain-turned-author invoked a demon to question it about her former teammate’s murder, but someone killed her during the ceremony, allowing the demon to enter our world. Will Jack discover Stacy’s demon in Local Man #7? Where else might his investigations lead? After the sham of his Superhero career, Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs’ ordinary hero embarks on a mind-bending and unsanctioned investigation.

 

 

 

Art

As Jack walks along the river, ghostly hands embrace him. Water arcs around him as he falls, suggesting a time vortex or the Twilight Zone. The hands clutch his neck, while circles and worms evoke bubbles and currents. Then the hearts tattooed on dreadlocked Coochie’s chest mimic the hearts adorning the interior and exterior walls of the commune’s love shack. While hippies dance outside by campfires, Coochie's eyes glaze as he puffs his smoking joint. Yet when Jack and his dog Pepper leave, the campfires blaze unattended.

 

Purple, orange, and blue spin like pinwheels and flow like currents through the evening sky as Jack's inner voice guides him. Brad Simpson's bright colors enhance scenes of Jack grabbing white dialogue balloons and bumping into wiggling panel borders. Softer colors adorn memories of Chief Brian Bucholz’s chat with Jack in Local Man #7. Greens, purples, and browns dominate Inga's kitchen. As she texts Jack and tells him that Brian's not home, the darker shades reveal highlights and shadows and suggest that Inga has the lights set low.

 

The explicit texts on Jack and Inga’s phones feature smaller lettering. Dialogue balloons feature a mix of small lowercase and larger-size uppercase black text. Sound effects attend Jack's dip in the river and when he follows in Mackenzie's footsteps. Yet my favorite panel is when the balloons--like the river splash--circle our small-town hero.

 

 

 

A short second story in Local Man #7, with art by Tim Seeley and colors from Felipe Sobreiro, provides a '90s-style look back on Jack's superhero adventures. Cartoon or Children’s Book-style illustrations featuring mono-shading follow Inga’s attempts to help Farmington shine.

 

Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Seeking to atone for the mistakes that cost him his glamorous superhero career, Jack investigates a mysterious drowning. Yet the sham Jack perpetuated to further his career seems slight compared to the compromises his former girlfriend Inga has made to save her struggling town. Local Man #7 asks how much one should sacrifice to help others and protect ideals when others no longer care.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

Preview interior art on my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Local Man #6 Review

 

Writer: Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs

Artist: Tim Seeley & Tony Fleecs

Colorist: Brad Simpson & Felipe Sobreiro

Cover Artists: Tim Seeley, Tony Fleecs, Marat Mychaels & Brian Reber

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 18, 2023

 

Jack visits Inga at her restaurant. His father surprises him by delivering fresh produce from his garden. Then someone starts shooting. Why can't Jack catch a break? Let's leap into Local Man #6 and find out!

 

Story

Jack can’t openly protect his hometown. So he wears a balaclava and adopts the moniker Local Man. But everyone knows he's CrossJack, dismissed from the Third Gen superhero team. The vigilante has #Truth written on his body armor. He believes Camo Crusader was God's servant. As such, he's dutybound to kill his slayer.

 

After the incident at Inga's restaurant, Police Chief Brian Bucholz assures Jack no one knows he killed Camo Crusader apart from his wife and Officer Kopecki. He asks Jack to question a group of local hippies about a mysterious death. He needs Jack's help, as the hippies won't talk to the police.

 

Bucholz radioed that Jack killed Camo Crusader in issue #4. When Third Gen arrived in issue #5, they knew Jack had killed Camo. So it seems odd that Jack would ask Bucholz for reassurance, and the Police Chief would believe the information contained. But unlike the vigilante #Truth, who "knew" everything, Jack realizes that he’s been clueless about things for most of his life. And Bucholz admits he’s a peacekeeper, not a detective.

 

Inga's the only successful business owner in Farmington. She hides her government project from her husband and manipulates Jack by sleeping with him. She would never knowingly injure the student who died. But could her experiments involving the Ark of the Covenant have somehow caused the girl’s death? Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs serve far more than Jack's beloved Morning Quickie in Local Man #6, the first installment of their new Dry Season story arc.

 

Art

Tony Fleecs breathes life into Farmington, a town where buses no longer run, and the only man who gives Jack rides disparages him. Fleecs communicates the vibe of these isolated communities, where people get by and anyone with aspirations or potential leaves. He captures the inhabitants’ humanity and camaraderie: Bucholz's openness, Officer Kopecki’s fragile poise, and Ben's ease with Inga versus his tense relationship with his son. Through Inga's body language and how she organizes her restaurant, Fleecs helps us believe she could manage far more. His final haunting scene, when Local Man #6 verges from superhero to horror comic, is not to be missed.

 

Brad Simpson's soft, appealing coloring for this first story shows highlights and shadows. Background colors change to enhance the energy and emotions involved.

 

Tim Seeley portrays Inga’s past in his Local Man #6 backup story. He communicates Inga’s love for Jack, how his departure shook her, and her determination to make her life count. Aside from the brightly colored Third Gen scenes, Felipe Sobreiro colors Tim’s inks in blue and white.

 

While the lettering duties go uncredited, Local Man #6 is easy to read. Uppercase letters inhabit dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes in the main story, while lowercase letters fill boxes in the backup. Sound effects enhance this small-town mystery involving a disgraced superhero helping others, even if they don’t admire him.

 

Final Thoughts

While a superhero's death rocks the world, Jack investigates the mysterious death of a promising student and entrepreneur. Yet the death of a crazed vigilante feels the most unsettling in Local Man #6. 

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.