Not all homecomings are sweet, which the superhero Crossjack is about to learn.  Your Major Spoilers review of Local Man #1 from Image Comics, awaits!

LOCAL MAN #1

Writer: Tim Seely and Tony Fleecs
Artist: Tim Seely and Tony Fleecs
Colorist: Felipe Sobriero
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 22nd, 2023

Previously in Local Man #1:  Jack Xavier, also known as Crossjack was once a part of the superhero ground 3rd Gen. But now he’s found himself having to return to his hometown and live with his parents.

MAMA I’M COMING HOME

Local Man #1 opens with Jack on a dusty road waiting for a bus, when a truck drives by to inform him that the bus doesn’t come by no more.  But, when the truck driver recognizes who’s waiting he’s unwilling to give him a ride, forcing Jack to walk to his parents’ house.  There he has a tense dinner with his parents where they make their displeasure in him apparent.  He decides to go to a local bar.  While there he’s confronted by a costumed villain named The Hodag.  He manages to fight him off, but is also thrown out of the bar.  He gets a ride home from an old flame where he’s greeted by the members of 3rd Gen, and a cease and desist.  Elsewhere, The Hodag is visited in jail. In a backup story, Crossjack and the rest of 3rd Gen fighting against a group called The Desolators.

TOEING A THIN LINE

On its surface, Local Man #1 has a lot of elements that have become somewhat cliche in the world of modern era comics.  A superhero down on his luck, a population that hates him, a superhero team that appears to be corporate or at least willing to resort to legal action against one of their own.  But, it is missing one of the things that typical superhero deconstructions have, and that’s brutality.  So far, Local Man seems to be focusing on one man dealing with ramifications of his own actions and a bit of a satire of 90’s comics, rather than the debauchery or heroes, or the decline of society, which makes it refreshing.  Also, the setting of The Midwest is more than just a different paint on the same wall.  There’s a distinct midwestern feel to how things play out.  From the mom who manages to be polite while criticizing her son, the small town bar that looks like it was built into an old house, the god-fearing sheriff, these suggest a familiarity with the region and work well in establishing a strong sense of place.  While there does seem to be an effort to differentiate this story from other superhero deconstructions, it does manage to hit a few cliches, specifically the interaction Jack has with Inga “the one who got away”.

NICE ARTISTIC FLOURISHES

The art in Local Man #1 doesn’t try to do too much.  It’s pretty straightforward, but it’s also very nice looking for what it is.  Where it shines though is in the coloring.  Shots of Jack walking down the highway with the country’s heartland stretching out around him looks like a shot from Nomadland, and the interiors, specifically the bar scene, bathe the characters in appropriate colored light, which makes the whole scene feel enveloped in it.

Bottom Line:  Intrigued Where This One Is Going

While the premise and some of the peripheral story elements shown in Local Man #1 aren’t groundbreaking and are downright cliche in some instances, it feels more like a Cameron Crowe movie rather than something like The Boys, which touches on similar themes.  It never goes into brutal or grizzly territory which keeps it separate from other comics dealing with more realistic takes on superheros. 4 out of 5 stars.

---

Dear Spoilerite,

At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.

Local Man #1

80%

80%

Bring It Home

Local Man #1 establishes a great tone and setting early on and rides them until the end of the issue, while introducing enough story elements to encourage further reading into the series.

• Writing

  8
• Art

  8
• Coloring

  8
• User Ratings (2 Votes)
  8.1