Static Shock #1
Written by Scott McDaniel & John Rozum
Pencils by Scott McDaniel
Inks By Jonathan Glapion and Le Beau Underwood
There’s really no nice way to say this, so I’m just going to come out with it. Static Shock #1 is not very good. It’s not even passable. I was unfamiliar with the character before picking it up, which could have an impact on my bias, however he comes off to me as very Peter Parker-esque, just with none of the charm or charisma.
He’s got an arrogant cock-sureness to him that is quite off-putting, and, as the story illustrates, he’s irresponsible as well. There isn’t much likability in the character, and (in my opinion) worse off is that the dialog comes off as laughably ridiculous. Yes, you’ve got me reading comic books, and there’s a suspension of disbelief that comes along with that. But when you root a story in New York City with a family living in Harlem, I don’t buy that people talk the way these writers have them talk.
Have I read worse books? Absolutely. It may just be the pedigree of the other relaunched titles that give “Static Shock” an unfair advantage, but regardless, this is Strike One.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
What S.T.A.R. Labs is.
VERDICT
Skip it.
