Short Version: Michael Avon Oeming’s The Victories #1 is set in a dark city filled with crime and decay protected by a team of super heroes called The Victories. However, one of those heroes, Faustus, may not be as heroic on the inside as he tries to be. It’s a great read, although there’s some mature material in there, and sets up some interesting characters with the pivotal of plot of whether Faustus is a hero, a killer, or both.
The Victories #1 Writer and Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
The Victories #1 is the first issue in a five part series from Michael Avon Oeming and Dark Horse Comics. The Victories are a team of heroes that protect a city on the brink of complete decay and utter corruption. One of the members of The Victories, a hero named Faustus – a sort of wise-cracking, ultra-violent Batman – finds himself in the same place, unsure if he is a hero or a killer. Faustus is struggling against his nature, against his natural tendency for violence during The Victories #1 and it makes for a pretty compelling read. The world of The Victories #1 is a dark and violent place and the story is told through some pretty great art from Oeming, including some nice stylized work and action sequences. Overall, The Victories #1 is a pretty great read that is more philosophical than you might expect it to be at the outset (or, at least, The Victories #1 was more philosophical than I expected it to be on the outset). It asks questions about what makes a hero and how people can overcome their nature, if at all. Faustus is an interesting character, battling with his demons and, as mentioned before, The Victories #1 makes a nice little analogy between Faustus and the city he protects. If you’re looking for a dark, violent super hero story that asks interesting questions about what it is to be a hero and what determines who we are as people, you should really take a look at Michael Avon Oeming’s The Victories #1. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the answers are for Faustus.
What do you all think makes a hero? How far can a hero go to protect some place before he becomes no better than the people he is fighting against? What other interesting stories have you read recently? Go protect the comments section from not being awesome by talking below.
