Monday, July 22, 2013

Review: Meet Lazerman!

Today I will be reviewing a superhero who goes by the name Lazerman.

Lazerman is a superhero that I can relate to, because he's also a comic book geek!  LOL 

But heck, part of the reason many superheros take up the role is because of comic books, so it only makes sense that this guy, Alex Sanders, would want to don the spandex soon after being shot by an experimental laser, thus giving him the super powers of strength, flight, and a virtually bulletproof body. Being shot by powerful lasers happens every other day, right?

I read Lazerman 1 thru 4, and the link above conveniently provides those very issues should you want to obtain a copy for yourself.  And I feel that it's worth the dip into your comic book budget to get a copy!  :-)

Okay, before I continue, it's time to present the obligatory

**********WARNING!  SPOILERS AHEAD!  **********

If you have not read Lazerman and don't want what's in it spoiled for you, then STOP READING NOW!  You have been warned!

This beginning story arc is peppered with bits of oddball humor, like the computer geek friend who always seems to know someone who - very conveniently - can provide whatever service or skill that they happen to need at that time.  There's also the guy with the round glasses who always knows "backstory" of different characters, and happens to show up at the right time to give that backstory.  I suspect that this guy works for the NSA!

However, what I found really funny is that not only is Lazerman a comic book nerd, so is his first arch-villain!  Another thing I found funny about the villain, Razorman, is that despite the name, he always had a three-day beard!  The razors, apparently, are only for intimidation, and not for shaving.  Razorman is a legacy villain who comes from a long line of villains who tried - and failed - to make the ultimate war machine, which is a mechanical device that can go from an awesome razor-themed car, to a flying helicopter-looking machine, to a giant killer robot!  (Killer robot?  Where have I seen one of those before? )

Razorman accomplishes what his ancestors failed to do, and that's to complete the war machine - and what an intimidating device it is!  So what does he do the first time out?  Why attack the Statue of Liberty, of course!  Lady Liberty is Razorman's target because back in the day, the Feds spent money on restoring it instead of funding RazorDad's war machine project.  But Razorman is holding no grudges, you understand...

My favorite part of this story arc is when Alex is feeling frustrated because his first jaunt into doing the hero thing failed miserably.  Then as his friend is talking, he's looking out the window, and sees a toddler fall out of a window and about to plummet many stories down to the pavement.  Without even thinking about it, Alex flies to the rescue (as Lazerman, naturally).  Then other things pop up that require his super assistance.  Before he knows it, he's done the hero thing.

That's how it usually works when you're not trying too hard to be a hero.  The heroics tend to come to you.  If you think too much while you're doing the hero thing, then you may think too much about the danger you're putting yourself in by battling - for example - a guy who can fling razor discs like someone else flings a Frisbee.  In other words, if you think too much about your own safety, then someone else's safety is usually put into jeopardy.  Even early in his superhero career, Lazerman has already leaped into battle with little regard to his own safety, and thus he has saved others.  Welcome to the superhero club, Alex!

The story arc, while loaded with goofiness, has its own shades of darkness.  Apparently, there's suggestions of behind-the-scenes intrigue going on, and no doubt we'll learn if another super villain is in the works for poor Lazerman.  My question is this: In the hospital just after Alex was shot by the laser, it was suggested that Alex wasn't the only victim of these kinds of "experiments".  So, what happened to those other people?  Will Lazerman be seeing them soon?

Anyway, the big battle ensues, and Razorman is defeated!  Whoohoo!  Then after having saved the day, Alex is feeling pretty good about himself, and takes to flying around the Earth - and gets smacked by a plane.  Heh!  What a fitting ending for the world's goofiest laser-themed superhero!  There are other issues of Lazerman out now, but I haven't read them yet, because I wanted to do this review first.  However, I was impressed enough that I want to see "what happens next", and that's music to the ears of any comic creator.

Great job, guys!   Well done!  ^.^

---------------------------------------
And on a related note, I am part of something on Facebook called Creators United, which is a loose affiliation of comic creators, artists, writers, etc.  We are a group of comic lovers who are not affiliated with the "Big Two", but who aspire to work together to put out comics anyway.  It's still in its beginning stages, but it's a very ambitious group, and I see only good things ahead. 

To show my support of Creators United, each time I review a publication done by a CU member, I will post it to my new sidebar category conveniently titled "Creators United Members".

As you can see, Lazerman has the honor of being the first member to be posted to it. ------>

But it's just the first of what I hope are many more for me to review!  :-)

No comments: