Opposite Forces (2005) #3

November 16, 2005

Quick Rating: Very Good

What can Marty and Alexis do with their powers?

Writer: Tom Bancroft
Pencils: Tom Bancroft
Inks: Cedric Hohnstadt
Colors: Josh Ray
Letters: Greg Hardin
Editor: Sean J. Jordan
Cover Art: Tom Bancroft
Publisher: Alias Enterprises/Funny Pages Press

I seem to fall more in love with this title each issue. Tom Bancroft has taken all of the conventions of superhero comics and poked fun at them, but in a loving fashion that’s as entertaining as anything on the market.

Marty and Alexis, the neighbors who accidentally absorbed all the powers of Captain Dynamo, were stunned last issue when Marty’s dog, Bopper, started talking. Their pets got something from the power transfer as well, it seems, and the new super-genius dog begins explaining what really happened to them. Meanwhile, stuck in a hospital, Captain Dynamo struggles to break out and get his powers back.

Bancroft has really created a great comic book here. In addition to telling a funny story, he’s made his characters far more than the caricatures one may have expected them to be at first glance. Marty’s got a huge crush on Alexis, but he doesn’t think she’s flawless, either, and isn’t even so intimidated that he won’t crack a joke or laugh at one at her expense. Alexis has begun her journey as sort of a stereotypical pretty girl, but this issue we do see that she has the qualities of a real hero, even if they’re sometimes misplaced. The characters are actually layered, actually real, and that sets this apart from a lot of the superhero parody comic books out there.

The artwork, again, is wonderful. Bancroft’s background in animation really shows through, as his panels look wonderfully fluid and his character’s “acting” – those small poses and facial expressions that make a comic book look real – are absolutely wonderful.

The issue ends with a major cliffhanger to lead into the final issue in this miniseries, but the “next issue” box refers to the end of the “first story arc” – which really gives me hope that Bancroft already has plans for the next story starring these characters. They deserve it.

Rating: 8/10

Opposite Forces #2

October 27, 2005

Quick Rating: Great

Marty and Alexis examine their powers.

Writer: Tom Bancroft
Art: Tom Bancroft
Colors: Josh Ray
Letters: John Trent
Editor: Sean J. Jordan
Cover Art: Tom Bancroft
Publisher: Alias Enterprises/Funny Pages Press

The second full-color issue of Alias’s re-presentation of Opposite Forces is here, and every bit as impressive as the first. Taking up the story just seconds after last issue ended, Alexis is trying to shake off the electric shock she received with Marty and going off to work. That turns out to be a bit harder than she expected, however, when she find herself unable to control her newfound incredible strength – not to mention her new tendency to lift right off from the ground.

Marty, meanwhile, is drifting away on his own, and when he and Alexis come together again, they start to piece together the accident that transferred Captain Dynamo’s powers to them. What neither of them realize is that they may not be the only two who were affected by the jolt.

Bancroft’s comic continues to impress – he fleshes out his characters a good bit in this issue. Marty’s crush on Alexis isn’t quite as blind as it initially appears, and Alexis doesn’t immediately lose her reservations about her neighbor, but at the same time, seems genuinely flattered by some of his attentions. In other words, they both behave more like real people than caricatures.

What’s more, the artwork on this comic is nothing short of fantastic. Alexis feeling flattered, for instance, isn’t borne out by anything in the writing, but rather by the look on her face. Bancroft has a very good, very animated style, and his facial expressions are one of his absolute strongest parts. More than that, though, he knows how to lay out a page and how to tell a story, something a lot of artists these days are rather clueless about.

This comic is pure fun. It’s extremely enjoyable, a blast of joy in a comic market that seems to dwell on the grim far too often, and I for one really hope that Bancroft has plans to bring it back after the initial four-issue miniseries is re-presented.

Rating: 9/10

Opposite Forces (2005 Series) #1

August 6, 2005

Quick Rating: Great

If Captain Dynamo loses his power, who can save the city?

Writer: Tom Bancroft
Art: Tom Bancroft
Colors: Josh Ray
Letters: John Trent
Cover Art: Tom Bancroft & Cedric Hohnstadt
Publisher: Alias Enterprises/Funny Pages Press

This new Opposite Forces series, premiering this week from Alias, is actually a full-color reprint of a black-and-white miniseries from a few years ago, and with the bargain introductory issues Alias does, there’s no better use for your 75 cents this week. I loved every page of this comic book.

Captain Dynamo is a superhero. A pompous, arrogant, attention-seeking superhero. And his second biggest fan, unbeknownst to both of them, is living in his own apartment building. Marty Knopf is a sweet, solitary guy who spends his time watching Captain Dynamo, hanging out with his dog Bopper, and nursing an unrequited crush on his neighbor, Alexis. He doesn’t think she knows he’s alive, but he’s wrong – she just happens to think he’s a creepy guy from across the hall.

On the day Marty finally finds the courage to make his move, an armada of aliens are preparing to enact their plans to render Captain Dynamo helpless. The aliens, an elevator mishap and a pot of matzo ball soup all converge to bring Marty and Alexis together in a way neither of them ever would have expected.

Bancroft is a former Disney animator, and it shows in both the story and artwork – both have a sort of charming, wholesome quality that one generally associates with Disney (although to be frank, this is a lot better than the stuff they’ve been turning out lately. They should have kept Bancroft on staff and made Opposite Forces into a movie.) You immediately feel a connection to Marty, because let’s face it, he’s got elements of just about all comic book fans in them. Alexis comes across as slightly shallow at first, but she also shows a willingness to grow that makes you want to watch her over the next three issues.

The artwork is just wonderful. It looks like the storyboard for a cartoon, there can be no doubt that this is the work of an animator, and I mean that as a compliment. The action, even in “normal” apartment scenes, is extremely fluid and energetic. You can picture the characters moving as though you were watching a cartoon. I rather like Bancroft’s designs as well – and a few concept sketches he shows you in the back pages shows he definitely made the right choices with the designs he selected.

I heard about this comic the first time around, but I never managed to find a copy, so I’m really happy that Alias is reprinting it (in color for the first time). I’ll be even happier if Bancroft comes back after these four issues are up and makes more. This is a fantastic comic, and if you pass up this bargain first issue, you’re making a huge mistake.

Rating: 9/10