Small Town Type #1

 Finally back to the Random Stack of Unread Comics!

Title: Small Town Type
Issue: #1
Date: 2008
Publisher: Fat Cat Funnies
Writer: Ian Nichols
Artist: Ian Nichols

So, apparently I reviewer issue #3 of this series (here), but never got around to reviewing the first two. Fixing that now.

Small Town Type is Ian Nichols' reinvention of the Superman story. I love the visual style of the big moments in this opening chapter, but the dialogue in the small moments are equally captivating. The voice of the (so far, unnamed) main character is deep and real, and the little interactions of small town life give the story heart.


There isn't a ton of plot in this issue, but that actually works well, keeping the focus on the big event that initiates the classic hero's journey while developing the lead character through dialogue, internal monologue, and day-do-day interactions.

This is a great start to a story that feels comfortably familiar but still intriguing.

Rating: 9/10

Small Town Type #3

Title: Small Town Type
Issue: #3
Date: 2010
Publisher: Fat Cat Funnies
Writer: Ian Nichols
Artist: Ian Nichols

This is the third issue of Ian Nichols' reinterpretation of the Superman myth, and the plot really kicks into high gear here. We get the introduction of major villains, plus a big shift toward revealing the world as one where super-powered beings are not exactly a new or unknown thing.

The cast is expanded substantially, but the lead character Billy remains the focus, it it's his personality that continues to make this a story worth reading. This is a great example of how a "post-modern" take on the superhero genre does not automatically have to mean endless angst and pages upon pages of gore.

This is a lead character, and a book, with heart. It's got a nostalgic feel (including a pretty cool splash-page tribute to FF #1), with a plot that is growing in complexity and depth.

Rating: 8/10

This is the six and last review of a small stack of indy comics I picked up on Saturday at Million Year Picnic in Cambridge MA.