CBR: Greatest Hits: Meet Solicitor

[CBR News]

With Vertigo's "Greatest Hits" launching this week, CBR News caught up with
writer David Tischman to kick off a five-part feature profiling each of the
idiosyncratic superheroes who rock out as The Mates.








Full article here.

[JimmyDee]

Sounds brilliant. I'll pick it up this weekend.

[carabas]

Sounds like someone's been reading Wisdom.

[Shellhead]

The first issue was interesting. The Mates are definitely not the Beatles (the Beatles also exist in this setting, as themselves), but they have very Beatlesque qualities.

The Solicitor is somewhat like John Lennon, intelligent, outspoken, and at least in the early days, idealistic. He is team leader, though sort of co-leader with Crusader. Solicitor is also a highly-skilled streetfighter and a tactical genius. The odd goggles somehow make him look like Lennon, despite being tall with blond hair.

Crusader is sort of a shallow Paul McCartney, only with a mustache. Though kind of short, he is a standard brick with superhuman strength and invulnerability.

Vizier is definitely like George Harrison, shy at first then later bold and strange. He is a powerful master of Celtic magic.

And Zipper must be a sort-of Ringo Starr, only he has red hair and looks more like Michael Nesmith of the Monkees. He is a speedster.

This story works in two time frames... the present, with the indie filmmaker son of one of the Mates doing a documentary on the team. And the past, via flashbacks courtesy of people talking about the Mates. In this issue, most of the flashbacks are focused on the early days of this team, starting in 1966, and the Mates all wear black suits and moptop haircuts.

Judging by the first issue, there will less focus on generic superhero stuff and more focus on characters and motivation. This is definitely Vertigo territory, with edgy attitudes and kinky sex, though the visuals are discretely clean.

The artwork is good, and I really enjoyed the scene when the documentary guy and his agent visit Crusader at his charitable foundation. The filmmaker is nervously waiting in the reception area, because his agent has been meeting with Crusader for 20 minutes. The attractive blonde reception gives him a look that somehow conveys impatience with his naive question. Then the agent comes out into the reception area and spits a mouthful of come into the receptionist's waste basket. She and the receptionist trade knowing looks as the agent comments that the Crusader Foundation uniform should include kneepads. Then the filmmaker takes a breath mint out of his mouth and sticks that on the reception desk, provoking a comical look of dismay from the otherwise jaded receptionist.

There were a couple of other good scenes, so I will definitely give issue #2 a try. The concept of this series is great, but I'm not sure if the actual comics will live up to the premise.

[B. Kuwanger]

I totally loved the first issue, I'm already sad to know it only goes half a year. To me the concept, execution, and art were dead on, and worked beautifully together. Solicitor is the man.

[Chemical King]

Pure joy to read. I really loved this first issue, love the whole idea of the series, and Fabrys art is breathtaking.

Fantastic start!

[Pixie_Solanas]

I finally got my hands on this issue and i'm very, very glad I did.

I mean, how can you hate a comic that has the swinging sixties England and hot tranny sex at a car wash?

You can't. "Chicks with sticks", indeed!