Dial H for HERO #4 // Review
An underlying theme throughout the first few issues of DC’s excellent Dial H for HERO has been the corrupting power of envy. The protagonists of the comic, Miguel and Summer, have been continuously dealing with a crew of former bearers of the H-Dial who are envious of the dial’s power and desperate to recover it for themselves. In issue #4, Miguel falls victim to envy himself.
This issue kicks off with Miguel and Summer arriving at the Justice League’s old Detroit headquarters and coming into contact with another former H-Dial bearer, the JLA’s sidekick Snapper Carr. As Mister Thunderbolt sets off an attack by the headquarters defenses, all three use the H-Dial at once. When Miguel’s transformation is less than impressive, his own envy gives Mister Thunderbolt the opening he needs to get what he wants.
Sam Humphries’ writing continues to shine in this action-packed issue, as he allows Miguel’s flaws to come to the forefront. Humphries’ Snapper Carr is appropriately annoying, and we finally learn some of the evil Mister Thunderbolt’s motivations.
The real star of the issue, as always, is artist Joe Quinones. The H-Dial transformations give Quinones the opportunities to pastiche other art styles, and this issue is a tour-de-force, with pitch-perfect parodies of Frank Miller, Moebius, and a host of newspaper funnies. Colorist Jordan Gibson and letterer Dave Sharpe aid in the transformations and tie the issue together.
Dial H for HERO continues to be one of DC’s most consistently engaging books, and it has just recently been extended to twelve issues. If this issue is a taste of things to come, the extension was a wise decision on DC’s part.
