Fri May 9, 2008 9:29AM2 comments ›
Fri May 9, 2008 — by Van Jensen
Review: 'Harbinger: The Beginning' by Jim Shooter and David Lapham
The classic '90s superheroes return in slick new collection
I had forgotten how much superhero comics had changed in the past 15 years when I picked up Valiant's new Harbinger: The Beginning collection ($24.95), which revives the book's first issues from 1992.
It's impossible to evaluate the stories without looking at the context of their era. True, Harbinger never reached the excessive silliness of Liefeld's X-Force, but it's populated by edgy characters with dated nicknames like "Torque," who spout even more dated phrases like "buttlick."
Since the crash of the '90s, comics have largely moved toward a more serious and realistic tone, and Harbinger (created by Jim Shooter and David Lapham) stands in stark contrast. All the same, in many ways the book holds up, probably no surprise since it once garnered a great number of fans.
What's especially appreciable about Harbinger is how it strays from the superhero stereotype, something even today's books struggle to do. The protagonist, Pete, is not a clear-cut hero; instead he's an immature and often egotistical teen who doesn't understand the dangers of his powers. The villain, Harada, is no great man, but his central goal is to protect the world from Pete.
As much as anything, Harbinger is about the folly of youth and the lessons to be learned from those mistakes. It falls into cliché and hollow edginess, but more often jumps in surprising directions and offers a new (again, in context) take on heroes.
Jump to comments (2)
More News from ComicMix
- M.O.D.O.K. and Genocide = M.O.D.O.G.?7 hours ago, 0 comments
- 'DC Universe Online' Needs Senior Artist9 hours ago, 0 comments
- Review: 'Too Cool To Be Forgotten' by Alex Robinson10 hours ago, 0 comments
- ComicMix Radio: Controversy in The Comic Shops12 hours ago, 0 comments
- Happy Birthday: Marv Wolfman12 hours ago, 0 comments
- 'The Incredible Hulk' Smashes Other Movie Standees13 hours ago, 2 comments
- Interview: Dan Jurgens on Booster Gold and the Tangent Universe15 hours ago, 2 comments
- The Real Hero, by Dennis O'Neil18 hours ago, 14 comments
- ComicMix on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook!1 day ago, 2 comments
- Grand Theft Auto IV: Less NYC, More Chicago's South Side?1 day ago, 0 comments


Comments (2)
Vinnie Bartilucci (10:40 AM on Fri May 9, 2008)
I was just thinking that since the film rights to Harbinger have been sold, Zephyr/Zepplin would be a great next role for Nikki Blonsky, late of Hairspray.
Harbinger, like all the Valiant books, really had something different to offer. It's too bad they're more known for being the spearhead of the speculator's market than the strong stories that started the company off.
They really need to do a chromium cover for one of the TPBs, just to piss people off.
Rick Marshall (2:42 PM on Fri May 9, 2008)
"They really need to do a chromium cover for one of the TPBs, just to piss people off."
You're evil, Vinnie. Pure evil. ;)