In his introduction, Mark Waid calls SUPES "the most clever and original comic book idea I've seen since I don't know when." And I couldn't agree more. The book is like a mean tease; this is the only issue Krueger's done, and it is so good you want to read more. (Krueger would like to write more; the back cover features synopses to more issues he'd like to write.)

The Supes team is a group of 26 men and women, each assigned a letter, and each fitted with a "transmodifier" that enables the heroes to transform into whatever they can spell. I's transmodifier breaks when he forms some ICE along with C and E. The trio are stuck and the rest of the team has to figure out how to get them out (and spelling stuff like "WARM" and "THAW" doesn't work).

Waid's choice of "clever" to sum up the book is a good one. Krueger clearly enjoys this idea and is having a lot of fun with it: making team members mimic their letter abilities (I and E are arguing over who should be the leader, i.e. (no pun intended) who should "go first"), and filling the supporting cast with characters like Professor Wordsworth and Anna Gram. This isn't heavy, ground-breaking stuff; it's just plain old fun to read.

The art is handled by Anthony Castrillo, whose black and white art is clear and easy to follow, but also looks exactly like John Byrne's. Now there are worse styles to ape and certainly its better as is than if the art was unreadable, but this is just out-and-out copying of someone's style and doesn't exactly thrill me to see someone doing it.

Still, you can read it more than well enough to enjoy the book for Krueger's clever gags and funny ideas. And while the book lacks serious suspense or much in the way of character development (there are more members of Alphabet Supes than there are pages in the book - 26 to 24), I enjoyed it as a great concept done well, and hope he does more issues in the future.

Heck, he could even get John Byrne himself to do the art next time.

Matt Singer is the head writer for PopImage's From The Wire, unless you don't think that column is funny. Then he has nothing to do with it.

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