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Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Creative Team: · Stan Lee · Will Conrad Related Sites: · Buy it from Amazon.com · Sirlinksalot: Who Wants to be a Superhero? Grade: B-

Whereas the television series was naturally wacky with an off-kilter charm, the character's origin as presented here takes a more sober tone. Our first introduction to Matt is on the ground, in darkness, in the pouring rain, and near death. How he came to be in this predicament is chronicled in a series of flashback narrated by the protagonist. His father's death early in life leads to escape into the world of comic books and superhero exploits. Eventually he outgrows them, rationalizing it in one of the many episodes where he talks to himself, "It's time to stop daydreaming about super powers. Those things don't happen in real life."

He opens a repair shop, fixing anything and everything electronic. One particular service call turns ugly, when in the midst of repairing a video game, he's challenged by a punk and his gang to top his best score. A mysterious stranger named Ironside observes the ensuing brawl and recruits him to check over a military vehicle (that looks like a cross between Kitt and the Batmobile), ostensibly to be used to combat a terrorist infiltrating the United States. Before this, however, his physical altercation lands him in the local hospital, where he is tended to by one hot-looking blonde nurse. To appreciate how compressed the storyline is, consider the conversation in this one panel that leads to a relationship between the two:

Matt: I'm Matt.
Nurse: My computer's on the blink, I thought maybe...
Matt: I'd be glad to help.
Nurse: Great! Here's my phone number --

Yeah... I wish it was that easy. The nurse is Sarah Blevins which, not coincidentally, is the name of Atherton's wife who also happens to be the co-creator of the Feedback character. I think you know how this fling will end up.

"Game on!": Feedback invents his catchphrase and experiments with his new powers as he tussles with the Eliminator's stooges.

Meanwhile, Matt is duped into lending his technical expertise to Ironside, who in actuality is the Eliminator -- the very terrorist he claims to be combating. The result of this discovery doesn't go well for Matt, who sustains a vicious beating that lays him flat and brings us full circle to the opening scene. Before they can finish him off, a massive lightning bolt strikes him. Instead of killing him, Matt finds himself transformed. He talks to himself again to let us all in on his new-found abilities: "Instead of killing me, the lightning gave me power! I'm like a walking storehouse of electronic energy!"

Of course, a superhero needs a costume and, after giving himself the name of Feedback, Matt enlists nurse Sarah to sew a costume for him, in exchange for his computer services. Now, if that isn't a red flag in a budding relationship, I don't know what is. Feedback grows into his role of superhero, including a reprise of the "little girl lost" scenario from the first episode of the show, which I thought was a nice touch. He's headed for a showdown with the Eliminator and his cast of goons, determined to stop the villain and the mechanical menace he helped to perfect.

This is a classic origin story, told in a compact 22 pages. Although the cover proclaims "40 pages!" it's not all dedicated to the winning character. The book is filled out with the mock covers of each character featured on the show as they were unveiled in one of the episodes (and, judging by this artwork, I'm really sorry Cell Phone Girl didn't win). Included under each "Premiere Issue" is text identifying the character's secret identify, super powers, vulnerability, catch phrase, and what they're fighting for. It's a nice inclusion, though at the expense of fleshing out Feedback's story a bit.

Will Conrad's illustrations bring a certain style to the story that augments the more serious tenor of the tale. In the midst of the story, colorist Michael S. Bartolo makes Sarah's eyes go from blue to brown, but otherwise his shading is sinister and sappy, where appropriate. It's by no means a masterpiece, but Lee and company have created an adequate beginning -- not to mention a fanboy's dream -- for Feedback. This should sufficiently entice the current batch of contenders to shoot for the same goal -- to see their likeness in print. For fans of the world created for Feedback, the concluding panel leaves the promise of more, if this release proves popular: The End (for now).

Who Wants to Be a Superhero?, Season 1: Episode 1 | Episode 2| Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6