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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Absolute power corrupts and makes evil fun..., November 6, 2003
This review is from: Bratpack (Paperback)
Ever wonder why there were so many teen sidekicks in golden and silver age comics? Okay, there was obviously Robin (three of them to date), assorted Superboys and girls, Wonder Woman's aide Wonder Girl, The Flash apparently had kids with super speed, Captain America had Bucky... and on it on it went. Basically they were there to give the heros someone to explain the plot to for some of their more ingorant readers. Someone that the kids could identify with, at least on a fantasy level. What Rick has done with this story is show us how dangerous this practice would be if done in a structure with actual consequences. And he does it in pure warped Veitch style. You've got the Midnight Mink, a sort of gay vampy Batman, JUDGEJURY, a facist Punisher type "Hero"(an impotent white supremicist muscleman on steroids), Moon Mistress, a WW type with serious man-hating issues (she makes candy treats out of cojones severed from male foes, brrrr!) and King Rad, a kind of Bruce Wayne on speed character bent on living the ultimate rush. All of these dangerous types are collectively known as "BLACK OCTOBER" (go figure), and are aware that they have comic books and merchandise based on their exploits a la the JLA or the Avengers. They figure teen sidekicks would help with sales, so they get some (leading to Chippy, Kid Vicious, Luna and Wild Boy, respectively). The problem is that they have no more enemies left, so they go after anyone who doesn't agree with them, which leads to the appearence of Doctor Blasphemy, a proported super-villain, who is actually the only person in the entire story who consistantly tells the truth. The teens get in the way and are killed, so new recruits have to be found and trained. Kids are recruited and shown their respective hero's secret identity. This takes us to the seamy underside of each hero's personal life, each with their own dirty little secret. Warped sexual identities, racial bigotry, social apathy, drug addiction, megalomania and religious faith are all taken apart and put back together askew in this satirical tale. This story is an offshoot of THE MAXIMORTAL with a link at the end to that storyline. I really can't say enough good things about this story. It's sick, it's shocking, its awe-inspiring, it's thought-provoking, it's edgy and ultimately, it's high-art! It's also hilarious in a black kind of way. If you like stories that take apart the Superhero mythos and parade it for the naked emperor that it is, then this is for you! (...)!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
the Brat Pack, May 25, 2009
This review is from: Bratpack (Paperback)
A must own for any comic/super hero fan! Easily in my top 10 greatest stories. Rick Veitch's take on the super hero genre is phenomenal!
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3.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting satire ruined by a pointless ending, AND a better reprint is on the way, November 22, 2008
This review is from: Bratpack (Paperback)
Bratpack starts off with a spot-on satire of comic fans. Just as DC fans voted in a telephone poll to kill off Robin, radio listeners proclaim how annoying kid sidekicks are and how they wish they were dead. They soon get their wish as a bomb kills off four sidekicks and the heroes start to search for replacements.
As with many other comic book satires we soon learn the heroes are not as pure as we think. One is proudly out of the closet and looking for a new boy toy, another is a racist, all of them are killers. The villain of the piece is the disturbing Doctor Blasphemy, one of the most chilling designs I've seen in a long time.
Veitch's art is fantastic, not just the character designs and action but the panel layouts and choice of scenes are fantastic. Throughout the book he uses a two page layout where each sidekick gets a quarter, their experiences neatly paralleling each other. When he needs an establishing shot for the city of Slumburg (great name!) he doesn't just show buildings and bridges, he shows slaughterhouses and sewers. From the disturbing cover onward the book is a visual treat.
So why a low mark? The ending. It ties in loosely with the Maximortal (another of Veitch's works) but really makes little sense and says nothing. The book is all set up (and very good set up) with no conclusion.
Books like Marshal Law, the Wyrd, the Boys, Planetary and the Pro have also done the whole 'heroes are scum' satire and work better as stories. A gay Batman, a castrating Wonder Woman and other spoof are fairly obvious and have been overdone. Bratpack has moments of brilliance but does not hold together.
If, after reading this you're still interested, wait. There is a hard cover coming in 2009 that will have all the covers (none are reprinted here) and sketchbook pages.
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