Kids with powers do have it hard in, well, everything. No matter what, life just finds a way of making them completely miserable. In another case like this is “Secret Weapons†by Eric Heisserer with art by Raul Allen and Patricia Martin. The first issue takes this plot and makes you want to read more.
A group of failed technopaths (psychics, basically, that have powers like can talk to birds and make stuff appear) are being hunted down by the same people that made them. A technopath named Amanda McKee is out looking for this kids in order to fight against these people.
At its core, the basic plot is just that, basic. However, Heisserer spins this plot into something truly spectacular. One way is that all the characters are likable and are well written. We see how their powers impacted their lives, we see that they have problems that need to be ironed out. Basically, they’re human. That’s why this comic stands out even with a basic plot.
Or course, some people will find this first volume a slow start since it does the old introduce everyone and everything slow buildup to the main action. It’s not really a slow start, even by comic standards. It is necessary to build these characters up somehow.
Allen and Martin’s art while nice, doesn’t live up to the usual art seen in a Valiant comic. Yes, the backgrounds and character models are great stuff, they seem to be a tad lower quality than normal. Also, the facial expressions are just ugly in general. There are plenty of panels where it’s hard to just look at a character.
“Secret Weapons #1†may have a basic story, but the characters and overall writing elevate the story to greatness. The artwork may not be up to the normal Valiant standards, but it is still well done.
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