Last Week’s Comics 10/12/2011

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The Strange Talent of Luther Strode #1

(Image – writer: Justin Jordan; art: Tradd Moore)

The Strange Talent of Luther Strode is a bloody, disgusting, violent and completely predictable comic. Much Like Kick-Ass, it focuses on a weakling who decides to beef up with a program known as “The Hercules Method.” Nothing in this issue particularly surprised me, and most people will probably (and aptly) call it “another Kick-Ass.” This, however, doesn’t mean that Luther Strode isn’t an entertaining book – it is. And I had a blast reading it.

Luther Strode is the stereotypical nerd. In fact, a lot of Luther Strode is based on stereotypes. For example, Luther is a weakling who looks like the lead singer from Semisonic. He’s picked on by football players. And he has a short, chubby best friend named Petey.

But Luther has other issues as well. He and his mother seem to be on the run from someone, possibly Luther’s father (who’s hinted at as being abusive). He’s trying to protect his mother. There’s enough humanity to the character to make him likable, and when Luther finally punches the jock in the face (a beautifully illustrated page that includes a lot of blood puke), I felt happy for him.

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The introduction to the story – a page that shows a mask-wearing Luther pushing bullets out of his chest using his muscles – is enough to pique readers’ interests.

My only complaint with the issue is that the villain’s only given two pages – a single page every time he appears. It’s a distraction from an otherwise seamless first issue, so I wish Justin Jordan would have left these moments for the second issue. Introduce readers to the character first, then worry about giving him a nemesis. The moments where the villain appears are very intriguing but rushed and chaotic, so they don’t give any detail to him more than the fact that he’s a bearded badass.

I loved The Strange Talent of Luther Strode. I recommend it if you’re a fan of Kick-Ass, or if you’re someone who’s ever wished for super powers so you could punch one of those pricks who used to pick on you in high school.

Not that this ever happened to me, of course.

Read Luther Strode if you like violence, consider yourself a nerd or have ever thought of punching someone until he barfed.

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