THE MALL IS ON FIRE! Who better to charge in and save the day than three tiny kid sidekicks of the world’s most fantastic superheroes? Featuring: Sergio touches an artifact that belongs to his vampire great-great-great-great-great-great-great uncle.
MINOR ACTS OF HEROISM #3
Writers: Adriana Ferguson and Kristen Van Dam
Artist: Adriana Ferguson
Inker/Colorist/Letterer: Kristen Van Dam
Publisher: Comixology Submit
Cover Price: $0.99
WE’RE NOT ALLOWED TO FIGHT THE BIG BADS
Sergio, Simon and Nilus have made the big grown up decision to take down the teenaged supervillains presently burning down the mall. As the sidekicks and sometimes-relations of three of the world’s most powerful superheroes surely they can handle a little scuffle at the shopping center. Sergio – as the sole progeny with no discernable powers – is left behind in the safety of Everywhere House as Simon transports himself and Nilus back to the mall once they’ve dressed in the appropriate costumes.
(Side note: In the character of Nilus writers Andriana Ferguson and Kristen Van Dam deserve a lot of credit for creating an Atlantian who is not only awesome, but refuses to fall within gender stereotypes. Nilus is the young female leader of Atlantis yet she demands to be addressed as KING because she is just as capable as any of her male counterparts. HOORAY!)
It turns out her female intuition is correct on this point as she and Simon (a.k.a. Everywhere Kid), battle against teens Jet and Quinton. The bad guys’ designer move seems to be teleporting mall rats several feet in the air and dropping them toward immanent death. We quickly learn that, while Jet is in every way the annoying teenager of stereotypes, Quinton is the big bad – probably of the entire universe. Simon (in a supreme act of self-awareness that is the trademark of this character), recognizing that he and Nilus are out of their depth, calls in the cavalry. As one would expect the cavalry being all the metahumans he and his fellows are related to.
Nilus is furious at the forced retreat and Sergio aggressively frets as (now in the safety of the Catargiu vampire mansion), Simon explains the gravity of the situation to his contemporaries. Sergio suggests they go to the library – and receives the expected ribbing for such a lame suggestion. Of course they do traipse off to the library only to discover a scary looking mask. Sergio speaks some magic-type words to it and opens a blast-of-energy-or-portal-or-something-not-good within his own body on the final splash page.
Ferguson and Van Dam have given each of their leading character not only distinct personalities, but distinct voices and the music of their childish interplay is my very favourite part of not only Minor Acts of Heroism #3, but the entire series. I could happily read Nilus’ pig-English as she berates the battlefield strategies employed by Simon or Everywhere Kid himself as he insults Sergio who is not only his friend, but his biggest fan.
THESE KIDS HAVE FREAKISH EYES
… is the title of a short bonus comic tacked on to the end of Minor Acts of Heroism #3 and a universal truth in this comic book. The proto-anime style set down by Ferguson and inked (and coloured), by Van Dam is bright and sharp and perfect for the fast-paced superhero story they are telling throughout Minor Acts of Heroism. The aforementioned bonus comic speaks to the fact that, like the voices of their own characters, their art is self-aware and joking, in that fun, meta kind of way.
Simon is bright and spunky in his yellow-and-white colour scheme with a hairstyle straight out of Dragonball Z; Lady King Nilus’ colour palate is brown-and-blue in the style of the ocean and earth she is sovereign over; and Sergio is brooding in black speaking to his familial legacy of vampirism which promises to feature more prominently in coming issues.
It’s fun and frantic and very, very sweet.
PICK IT UP BUTTERCUP
Minor Acts of Heroism #3 deserves to be experienced with the preexisting knowledge of the events of the first two issues and will be greatly enjoyed by a comic fans of all ages (the cover recommends 12+), especially if you could use a dose of levity in your funny books.
