Sledgehammer 44 is a two part mini-series written by Mike Mignola that is quite different in tone from his typical works. While Mignola is usually known for his horror comics (see: Baltimore: The Widow and the Tank and the Hellboy Universe), Sledgehammer 44 is being solicited as a Superhero comic. While the definition of superhero is arguable in this case, it very much feels like a departure from his previous heroes. While there are some moments of brilliance, the transition definitely creates some mixed results visible in the main product.
Most of my criticisms of the story stem from the first half, which rely mostly on one of the most cliche tropes in the history of storytelling to introduce to the audience what’s going on. There are many different ways to open a superhero comic, but having one character explicitly told something that he should know at this point feels very cheap. And no, I don’t think pointing it out makes it ok. Dialogue should flow naturally and follow the speaking patterns of those who are present in the scene. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but it should be realistic. I refuse to believe a member of the military engaging in a tense combat mission in which his life is at risk would have tuned out during the briefing. It just strike me as lazy, which is a term I never thought I’d use for Mignola.
I also have mixed feelings on the pacing. It follows a fairly typical pattern of superhero comics, beginning in medias res (or in the middle of the scene, for you non-English majors/Latin scholars), having a big action scene, and ending with character driven intrigue. It’s a solid framework, allowing the reader to jump right into the action with excitement, then slow down so the audience can catch their breath and digest what’s going on, only to rise them back up at the end with the suspense. That said, I think the action scene here is actually too fast for a superhero comic. See, in Mignola’s short stories, introducing and defeating a villain with a couple pages of each other is fine because that’s not what the story is about, and that time is better spent elsewhere. But when I read a superhero comic, I want to see epic battles, and the ones presented here are over before I can sink my teeth into them. It’s almost like Mignola’s constantly in a rush to get the action parts of the comic over with so he can delve into the personalities of his characters. As a result, the first half of this comic is very underwhelming and honestly a little disappointing.
That said, the second act is where Mignola shines, as he is able to return to what he does best: building suspense through dialogue, pacing, and subtle character development. The conversations here are executed brilliantly, as you really get a sense for who these people are. I ended up caring far more about these soldiers by the end of the issue than I would have expected just because of the personality brought forth by the dialogue. And the issue ends on a perfect cliffhanger that left me wanting more despite my previous sentiment towards the book. It’s true what they say: the ending is the last thing that people remember, and the ending of this issue was enough to make me want to come back for more.
Since this is a #1 issue, it’s worth mentioning that the actual superhero of the comic, who doesn’t have an official name but is referred to as “Project Epimetheus” (a reference to Greek mythology, though why he references this character beyond “he has a cool name” is unknown to me at this point), has a pretty interesting design, appearing very much as a robot, but having a human voice. Also, his powers provide the opportunity for some really interesting artwork, invoking a very different color scheme from the rest of the comic that I found to be a welcome change. The character is still almost entirely shadowed in mystery at the moment, but the potential is definitely there.
I should also mention that the art here is really fantastic. Jason Latour and Dave Stewart are a great team, capable of building atmosphere that perfectly matches the scene. The combat scenes are well detailed, and the colors really add a punch while catching the eye. In the more conversational pieces, the characters in the background are purposefully left uncolored, purposefully drawing the eye to certain actions while also creating immersion through this use of perspective. I have nothing but praise to heap on the art here; it’s everything you could want it be, executed perfectly. But honestly, I’d expect nothing less from these guys by now.
Sledgehammer 44 #1 is a very good superhero comic that comes just shy of being great due to a lackluster beginning. That said, if you’re a fan of Mignola’s, or simply want to meet a very different brand of superhero, it’s definitely worth the $3.50 cover price. The cliffhanger presented here is executed perfectly, and I’m excited to see what the team will do with their second issue.
Chase Wassenar, aka MaristPlayBoy, is the Lead Editor and Founder of the Red Shirt Crew. He almost had to question why a robot had lightning powers, but then decided the sheer awesomeness of it all put it above question. You can follow him on Twitter at @RedShirtCrew or email him at theredshirtcrew@gmail.com.
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