Rebirth of the Cool

Static Shock!: Rebirth of the Cool #1-3

by Dwayne McDuffie, Robert L. Washington III, John Paul Leon (Illustrator)

The young hero from the animated TV series STATIC SHOCK stars in this new title.

Threatened by high school bullies and ignored by girls, Virgil Hawkins' life changed dramatically when a mutagenic gas accidentally gave him super human abilities, Virgil was reborn as Static, the electrically powered teen super-hero. And while Static tries to balance the pressures of his school work, after school job and family life, he also protects his inner city neighborhood against villains including Holocaust and Commando X.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2009

About the author

Dwayne McDuffie was an American writer of comic books and television. His notable works included creating the animated series Static Shock, writing and producing the animated series Justice League Unlimited, and co-founding the comic book company Milestone Media.

He co-hosted a radio comedy program, and also wrote under a pseudonym for stand-up comedians and late-night television comedy programs. While working as a copy-editor for a financial magazine, a friend got him an interview for an assistant editor position at Marvel Comics.
While on staff at Marvel as Bob Budiansky's assistant on special projects, McDuffie also scripted stories for the company. His first major work was Damage Control, a series about the company that shows up between issues and tidies up the mess left by the latest round of superhero/supervillain battles. While an editor at Marvel, he submitted a spoof proposal for a comic entitled Teenage Negro Ninja Thrasher in response to Marvel's treatment of its black characters. Becoming a freelancer in early 1990, McDuffie followed that with dozens of various comics titles for Marvel comics, DC Comics, and Archie Comics.

In 1992, wanting to express a multi-cultural sensibility that he felt was missing in comic books, McDuffie co-founded Milestone Media, a comic book company owned by African-Americans.

After Milestone had ceased publishing new comics, Static was developed into an animated series Static Shock. McDuffie was hired to write and story-edit on the series, writing 11 episodes.

McDuffie was hired as a staff writer for the animated series Justice League and was promoted to story editor and producer as the series became Justice League Unlimited. During the entire run of the animated series, McDuffie wrote, produced, or story-edited 69 out of the 91 episodes. McDuffie also wrote the story for the video game Justice League Heroes.

McDuffie was hired to help revamp and story-edit Cartoon Network's popular animated Ben 10 franchise with Ben 10: Alien Force, continuing the adventures of the ten-year-old title character into his mid and late teenage years. During the run of the series, McDuffie wrote episode 1-3, 14, 25-28, 45 and 46 and/or story-edited all forty-six episodes.

On February 22, 2011, McDuffie died from complications due to a surgical procedure performed the previous evening.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwayne_M...

Reviews

[A.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Static is back! Well not really and not for long, but Dwayne McDuffie writing Static, the character he created, is always awesome to see and this book does not disappoint. Taking place years after the original 45-issue run of Static, the story sees Virgil Hawkins, now retired from superhero-ing, have to jump back onto his trash can lid when Bang Babies all around Dakota begin to go missing, with a mystery beginning to build on who would be stealing these people, and for what purpose?

McDuffie writes a surprisingly dark series, but it never gets too grim thanks to Virgil’s comedic charm. In every single issue, he has hilarious rapid-fire quips and banter with other heroes that end up adding some levity to the book when it’s needed. And while this mini-series was only greenlit to coincide with the at-the-time Static Shock TV Show, McDuffie isn’t worried about making the two synergize and it helps the story out a ton. Static does start out in a costume based on the one from the first season of the tv show, but every single character in the book roasts it until Virgil puts on the OG one from the comics.

The art by John Paul Leon is also fantastic, and some of my favorite work the dude ever did. He drew the first 9 issues of the Static ongoing, and seeing how much his style has developed for these 4 issues is just insane. The action scenes are seriously awesome, as I found myself glued to any page where Virgil was using his powers. The story isn’t some groundbreaking masterpiece or anything, but it does use a bunch of characters from the Milestone series and builds up to a villain reveal that had been set up years beforehand in a Holocaust miniseries, which is always cool to see.

This is one of my favorite mini-series out there. A fun, quick read, especially for fans of Static or Milestone in general, that isn’t too concerned about pandering to new readers. This and Milestone Forever were McDuffie’s epilogue for not only the character of Static, but the entire superhero universe he created. And I think he nailed it. A love letter to one of my favorite comic characters ever, Rebirth of the Cool is one of McDuffie’s best and the fact it hasn’t been reprinted yet is such a fucking shame. It might be a bit hard for new readers of Static to get into, but this is one of the best Milestone books anyone can read.

[Ashley Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

The volume I found on hoopla combined Rebirth of the Cool with Trial by Fire, which would've been nice to know a few weeks ago before I read Trial by Fire separately. Anyway, this was a ton of fun! I love Virgil's pop culture references (hello, Pokemon) and I need a Static/Spidey crossover PLEASE.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was apparently the inspiration for the Static Shock cartoon show, which I've never seen. Static began life at Milestone Comics, and eventually became a DC character.

Virgil Hawkins, aka "Static," is a fifteen-year-old kid with typical fifteen-year-old kid problems: bullies, girls, an obnoxious older sister, etc. Then he's given powers of electricity by an event known as the "Big Bang," which apparently created most of the superheroes in this world.

This collection consists of two arcs from the original series: one is Static's origin, and the other takes place some time after that, after apparently he was a member of a superhero team. So the two halves of this volume jump in time and tone.

Static was notable mostly for being an African-American superhero with his own title, at a time when this was still rare. (Well, heck, it's still rare.) Also, co-creators Dwayne McDuffie and Robert L. Washington III were among the still-small pool of African-Americans working in the comics industry.

As a superhero series goes, this was very 90s. Static fights bad guys, crack wisecracks, and has a hot best friend who has "friendzoned" him, even after finding out he is actually a superhero.

The second half, with Static being recruited to join his old teammates, involves a new secret organization that is abducting "Bang Babies" (superheroes given their powers during the "Big Bang"). Static and friends find out who the real Big Bad is, and Static, despite being just a 15-year-old kid, seems to be the one everyone looks to for leadership. Of course he also ends up being the one who figures out how to take down the villain.

Entertaining, with some personable recurring characters, but it's just your basic superhero book for teenage boys. Extra nostalgia value for reading it now because of those happenin' 90s outfits and that happenin' 90s hip-hop slang, and watching the superhero battles trash arcades.

The art in general I found to be dark and murky and ink-heavy, which was also the style in the 90s as I recall.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first exposure to Static Shock was the Saturday morning cartoon show which, in spite of it's Lil' Romeo theme song and tendency to oversimplify concepts ("Because of you, Dad! You and your stupid racism!") remains a quality television program. It wasn't until high school that my friend Rex told me there were comics as well. That the gang-bangers were realistically violent, that there were gay characters realistically presented--ballet aside--in a public high school setting, that poverty and money problems were just as important as beating up bad guys. Superheroes in a world full of shades of gray, namely the inner city.

Virgil Hawkins is a fifteen year old who gets his powers on the night he decides not to shoot a school bully. So you might argue that he is predisposed to be a hero, and you might argue that he had an illegal gun in a back alley full of gang members. What is inarguable is that he uses his electricity powers to fight crime with a love of science in an adorably geekish manner. This realistic world is full of likable characters and no one is so high powered that fights stop being interesting. In fact, the class and racial struggles are just as important as throwing people around with electrified playground equipment.

Dwayne McDuffie died a week ago, but he has left behind a body of truly excellent work. I highly recommend all of it.

[Kiarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this so much. I hesitate to give it 5 stars because it doesn't have that obsessive reread it a million times quality I usually reserve that five star rating for, but it definitely has me wanting to read more Static! Like many, I watched the cartoon when k was a kid and loved it. This comic hit that nostalgia hard, but it was also great in it's own right. Virgil is a totally believable teenage superhero. He even almost gets hair chopped off for not brushing it all summer! That happened to me when I was a kid only I wasn't able to talk my way out of it 🤣

Getting this glimpse into the milestone universe has me hungry for more, and, strangely, though I was excited for the new DC milestone comics, after reading this, I'm hesitant for these characters to join the wider DC universe (I know many of them did that a while back, but I didn't read those and they're about to get rebooted anyway). I love DC, but that universe is crowded. And maybe it's because I just read The Other History of the DC Universe #1, but I don't feel like the histories in the milestone universe are going to fit in as nicely and perfectly in a world that's had the histories of the justice league members to contend with for decades. But hey, since this is my first Milestone read, that means I've got plenty of content to dive into before crossing that bridge. And I'm looking forward to it!

[Skjam! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Static is Virgil Ovid Hawkins, a science-loving teenager exposed to an experimental gas that gave him electro-magnetic superpowers. He protects his schoolmates and neighborhood against gangs and supervillains who were also powered up by the gas. Now if he could find the time to also have a normal teenage life!

Static was the most successful character to come out of the Milestone Comics line, an attempt to showcase African-American comics creators and more diverse characters in superhero comics. He was a blend of early Spider-Man (nerdy teenager who is bullied at school, wisecracker, prone to bad luck) with concerns familiar to black teenagers in the 1990s. He went on to have a Saturday morning cartoon, Static Shock, that ran for four seasons before being cancelled because the toy companies couldn’t figure out how to merchandise it.

Although Milestone had ceased publishing in 1997, the popularity of the TV series allowed for a four-issue miniseries that was a “where are they now” for the characters, centering on Static.

This volume reprints the first four issues of the original Static series, as well as the Rebirth of the Cool miniseries.

The story opens with Static already having operated in his Dakota neighborhood for a month or so, and being appreciated by the locals. Some hoods are hassling Frieda, the girl Virgil likes, and Static interferes. After this triumph, Virgil heads home and we meet his skeptical mother and annoying little sister Sharon. (Virgil’s father works long hours at the hospital and we see little of him in these issues.)

Next day at school, Virgil meets up with his friends, including the suave Larry and the sensitive Rick (who is the target of homophobic comments, even though the person doing so isn’t sure Rick is gay.) Virgil asks Larry for relationship advice, as he is thinking of asking Frieda out. Larry warns that Frieda may already be seeing someone, but Virgil scoffs.

The previous hoodlums invade the school to capture Frieda (popular girl!) and take her to a nearby abandoned playground. Their leader, Hotstreak, is interested in her (but not vice versa), and in luring in Static for a fight. With his powers of speed and fire, Hotshot beats Static badly, then leaves to bask in his triumph. Frieda is surprised to learn that Static is really her friend Virgil.

At Frieda’s place, Virgil gets patched up and tells his origin story. Some time before, he was new at Ernest Hemingway High School (the Hawkins family had moved from a worse neighborhood) when he ran afoul of a gangbanger nicknamed Biz Money B. Virgil’s friend Larry advised him that he would continue to be victimized unless Virgil stopped the bullying permanently.

Not actively engaged in the local gangs himself, but “connected”, Larry knew of a turf war going on. There was going to be a huge throwdown of all the gangs on Paris Island the next night. If Biz Money B just happened to die during it, end of problem. Larry provided Virgil with an address and a disposable gun.

Come the actual event, Virgil found himself unable to murder a man, no matter how awful. But before he could retreat, the cops raided the battle and doused the assembled gangs with what was supposed to be riot gas. It’s actually “Q-juice”, an experimental chemical developed by Alva Enterprises. (Alva Enterprises is the bad guys at this point in time.) Those who survive inhaling it gain superpowers.

This includes Virgil, who uses his newfound electromagnetic abilities to evade capture by Alva Enterprises goons. Unlike most “Bang Babies”, who started out as criminals in the first place, Virgil decided to use his powers for good as Static.

Explanations given and a pep talk from Frieda later, Static has a rematch with Hotstreak (who of course is the former Biz Money B) and easily defeats him. Virgil then asks Frieda for a date, but is turned down. (Turns out she’s dating Larry.) They remain friends.

The next two issues have Static battling Tarmack, the living road, and Holocaust, a flame-wielding villain who picked the name deliberately to be offensive. Holocaust is a would-be crimelord, and tries to sell Static on the idea of working with him against “The Man” who’s keeping them down. Holocaust talks a good game, and Static is not particularly blind to how systemic racism is a factor in his life. But the villain soon shows his true ruthless nature, and Static dissolves the partnership.

When I first read this back in the early Nineties, I wasn’t all that impressed. I was tiring of angsty teen heroes, and Virgil’s personality can be a bit much. But the writing rapidly improved, and the more realistic look at life in a multicultural neighborhood made the book stand out from the mainstream comics equivalents. The coloring is of special note–Milestone used a new coloring process that allowed more subtlety in hues, so that not all black people had to have the same skin tone.

The mini-series picks up some months after we last saw Static in his own series. Virgil has retired from superheroing after losing a partner, and is catching up on his civilian life, including having a new girlfriend. This can’t last, of course. Someone is kidnapping Bang Babies and other superhumans.

They’ve already taken down the Blood Syndicate (morally complex gang), and crippled Hardware (the local equivalent to Iron Man.) Icon (the local equivalent to Superman) is out in space, Xombi (regenerator) only handles occult weirdness, and the Shadow Cabinet (secret society of superhumans) is officially hands off. That just leaves the Heroes, Static’s old team, and without his powers, they’re not doing so hot, having just lost one of their most powerful members.

Virgil is begged to come back to active duty, but refuses until inevitably the baddies stumble across him while hunting other Bang Babies. He briefly assumes a costume that looks like the cartoon before returning to his more usual garb, and leads the remaining heroes (including some unofficially seconded Shadow Cabinet members) to find the missing superhumans.

The investigation leads to someone with a shocking tie to Earth’s first superheroes, the Tower Family, and a small army of that person’s minions, powered up by the very Bang Babies they’ve kidnapped!

It’s nice seeing many favorite characters again, including the love-to-hate omnicognitive Dharma. (“I’m not going to tell you anything. Because I know the minute I leave the room, Iron Butterfly will tell you everything you need.”) Because this is a Static-centric story, the other characters give him more respect than is perhaps warranted by their history.

I’m not fond of the art, as the inks tend to the blobby, losing subtlety in facial expressions.

Good ending, though.

I understand that there’s a Milestone event coming up from DC comics, so now may be the time to look up this bit of the backstory.

[Meepelous · Rating 4 out of 5]

The character of Static was originally created by Dwayne McDuffie, Derek T. Dingle, Denys Cowan and Michael Davis. And, I believe Trial by Fire was originally published in 1993 and Rebirth of the cool came out in 2001. Both were published by Milestone Media

I knew nothing of Milestone media before I picked up this book, but their wikipedia page proved to be extremely interesting. A separate company, founded in 1993 by Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T Dingle (Christopher Priest was apparently involved in planning but left for personal reasons before anything was published) they struck a deal with DC Comics to have all their comics published and distributed by DC (who retained a right not to publish) but editorial control and copyright stayed with Milestone. A Black owned company, Milestone Comics created their own Dakotaverse that centered Black super heroes.

Moving along to the creative team:

Dwayne McDuffie, co-founder of Milestone media, was from Detroit Michigan. Attended University of Michigan for an English BA, then he received a master's degree in physics and attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He helped develop Marvel's first superhero trading cards. He also did work on Justice League of America, Batman: Blink, and even a run of She-Hulk.

Robert L Washington III was also from Detroit, Michigan, co-created Static, and wrote for Extreme Justice, the Batman Chronicles, and JLA Secret Files.

John Paul Leon is the third creator on this project to die before he turned 50. He was from Miami, and also did pivotal work on Earth X, penciled The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, and was reportedly a fan favourite on The Sheriff of Babylon.

One of the co-founders of Milestone Media, according to his website "Denys Cowan is an accomplished and celebrated comic and animation creator and illustrator... Cowan has numerous credits to his name, including: Black Racer, Deathstroke, Black Lightning & Hong Kong Phooey, Batman: Lovers & Madmen, Blind Justice, Black Panther: Flags of Our Fathers, The Question, Hardware, and Static."

He also spent time as the Senior Vice President of Animation at BET and Motown Animation and Filmworks. Denys helped develop and produce the first season of The Boondocks and drew the cover art for Liquid Swords, a platinum selling hop-hop album from GZA and Genius of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Moving right along, according to his portfolio website "Shawn Martinbrough is the author of “How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling”, published by Penguin Random House and an Eisner Award nominated artist whose comic book projects include; “Batman: Detective Comics”, “DMZ”, “Luke Cage Noir”, “The Black Panther: Man Without Fear” and “Hellboy”.
Characters co-created by Shawn are featured in, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”, “Deadpool”, the animated “Batman: Gotham Knights” and the television series, “GOTHAM”, “The GIFTED” and “BATWOMAN”."
And according to his portfolio website "Jimmy Palmiotti is a multi-award winning comic book creator with a wide range of experience and background in advertising, production, editorial, film writing, media presentation and video game development. Just a few of his clients include Nike, Disney, Warner Brothers, Lion’s Gate, Fox, and New Line, 2KGames and THQ Nordic."
Looking at her comicvine profile, " Noelle C. Giddings is an artist who has worked as a colorist in the comics industry. She served as color editor and colorist for the comic company Milestone Media from 1992 through 1995. She went on to work as a colorist for DC Comics. She has had 20+ years in the business of comics." She's also credited for Static, Outlaw Nation, Xombi, and Robin.

Clicking over to marvel fandom dot com "James Brown, sometimes credited as J. Brown is a colourist for Soto Color." He's also credited with work on G.I. Joe, America's Army, Icon Hardware, Thunderbolts, the Transformers, Civil War: Front Line and X-Nation 2099 among other things.

Steve Haynie has profiles on Marvel Database, Dark Horse Database, DC Database, the Wookieepedia, Valiant Comics Database, and the Forgotten Realms Wiki. Basically all they each say about him is that he is a letterer. Comicvine attributes work on Green Arrow, Static, Ghost, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Action Comics Weekly, Nexus, Spelljammer, Dragonlance, and Grendel to him (among many other titles obviously).

And my internet searching turned up basically nothing for Steve Mitchell,

Keywords that came to mind reading this book: arcade, high school, electricity, spider man inspired, coming of age, family, and community.

Flipping over to the back of the trade, they describe it as "Like any awkward teenager, Virgil worries about girls, pocket money, girls and getting beaten up. But recently, he's had even more on his mind: his newfound super-powers, his secret identity.... and girls.
On a night of terror dubbed "The Big Bang" Virgil Hawkins received incredible electromagnetic powers. As an enthusiastic comic book reader, he knew just what he hade to do, so his swashbuckling alter ego, Static was born. A wisecracking crusader in a city infested with superhuman crime, Static is about to learn the hard way, that as much fun as it is playing the hero, it's no game."

So yeah, very spider-man like. Much like Ms. Marvel did much more recently and to equally good effect in my opinion. I finally watched Far From Home the other day and I cannot stress how disappointed I've been with the way they've ripped Spider-Man from his working class and every man roots! So this read was a breath of fresh air.

That said, I had never read a Static title before so everything was pretty brand new.

Writing and art both seemed pretty top notch, especially considering how many Marvel art styles I'm not a fan of. I appreciate how low key cartoony it all is, as well as the subdued colour pallet. There was also a fair amount of hair variety and very distinct character designs. The page layouts work well and the flow moves as a good pace.

Looking at the different kinds of representation I like to talk about in every review...

Obviously Milestone Media was another example of Black people having to work twice as hard to write Black stories. The results effortlessly centre Black characters in a way that felt (although my feelings should definitely be taken with a grain of salt as I am not Black) deeply authentic. Trading in some classic coming of age and coming into one's powers tropes, it never felt cliche. The way Black people are depicted artistically is also miles ahead of many other superhero comics of the time.

Gender and sexuality felt pretty run of the mill. Not the worst, but (as illustrated in the book's description) pretty heteronormative and seemingly pretty binary when it came to gender.

As I already alluded to, it was nice to see a working class superhero who doesn't have tons of money to throw around.

While we are obviously dealing with a lot of super able bodied people, it is interesting to think about the way environmental toxins have impacted the lives of all the bang babies. There is at least one character who is depicted in a wheelchair. I believe this is Curtis Metcalf aka Hardware, but nothing across the interwebs seems to confirm that Hardware was ever in a wheelchair? So I'm a bit confused.

But yeah, to conclude, first time reader and I'm left very interested in Dakotaverse comics. Four out of five stars.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up thinking "Hmmm - a black superhero? Sounds awesome!"
It's pretty interesting thus far ... Static - or Virgil - is a high school student, and it accurately depicts the follies of high school life, I think: all the gossip and social aspects as well as the academic.
It's very well illustrated as well as witty. It tries to incorporate elements of hip-hop into the dialogue, but from what I understand, the first issues were written in the early nineties. Thus, some of the speech is out-of-date and a bit cheesy. Still, it's cool to read about a superhero who rides around on a trash-can lid, chases girls, and has a sense of humor.
Apparently this is a television show, too?
I'd like to acquire the other volumes - many students have indicated they would enjoy it.

[Lucas Lima · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Static Shock reading and it was really worth it.

Dwayne McDuffie really paved the way for Milestone and another characters back in the 90's/00's, being authentic on his productions. Like a lot of people, my first contact with Virgil's world was with that beautiful animated series, and, with Mcduffie being involved there as well, we see there, a lot of what with got in this book.

And the art by John Paul Leon is really nice. Very straight lines, something close to Mike Mignola's ones in Hellboy.

If you're a fun of the animated series and want to get to know Milestone universe (specially now that is back on comics), give this a try. It's on Kindle Unlimited and it just sooooo cooooool.

[Colona Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew that DC had acquired Static Shock from another creator so don't expect them to be the same. This book has some language but Static Shock is still likable. Virgil has kinda a tough life and gets picked on but is still really smart and is quite the chemist. He knows his powers well and obviously put effort to know how his powers will react to different substances, it really gives him a fighting advantage. The story is a little choppy but is pretty readable. ~Ashley

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars for the first story, which is a very entertaining origin tale with lots of 90s-ness. Great character and important in comics history. The second story felt like too much meandering toward an inevitable outcome, with too many other characters pushing Static to the edges of the spotlight in his own book, and a conclusion that was too fast and unsatisfying given the stakes that had been built up.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much the teen book that Jack Kirby would have created. Top notch; engaging.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice series in the Dakotaverse. Good refreshing new take on comics. Recommended

[James Rodrigues · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first exposure to Static was the animated series, a wonderful half hour show which balanced superheroics with relevant topics. I wanted to know more about the character, so went to this graphic novel collection, and saw how different the character was on the page right down to his costume, while retaining who Virgil Hawkins is at the heart of it all. Collected are the first few issues of Static's original run, detailing his origin, the balances of personal life with the crime-fighting side, and a few villainous encounters. There's also the Rebirth of the Cool mini-series, which sees Static getting back into superheroics after giving it up. John Paul Leon's art works well, but in the later mini-series, is spotty and makes it difficult to make out a number of the characters. Also, the increase in superheroes since the early issues feels out of nowhere if you haven't read more of the early run, I guess. But it's an engaging collection which got me what I wanted, more info on Static as a character, and a willingness to check out more stories.

[Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuing my little jaunt into 90s comic book nostalgia, Static Shock, the most enduring character to come out of DC's creator-owned Afro-centric Milestone entertainment. The art in this is dark but good, and while the plots are a little forced, the characters (and their dialogue) are spot-on. Enjoyed this retrospectively a lot more than I had expected.

[Doctor Doom · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume reprints the original run of Static Shock which I was NOT impressed with back in the day and my opinion has not changed with this offering... to the point I almost quit reading the volume. I saw I was over halfway through, so I wanted to go ahead and finish it. The new material was much better. Much better dialogue, much better artwork, much better story. Not great but readable.

[Lamont Redd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original run from 93' was way ahead of it's time. Dwayne Mcduffie should be a household name.

[Andre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a more politically aware Spider-Man, Static is a high school student dealing with all the trapping of teenage life while navigating the world with super powers.

[Rayjan Koehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn't exactly as the show that I remember, but that's normal (the books being different from the shows/movies that they inspire).

Still a good read though very different. I of course prefer the dynamic Richie from the show over the guy in the comics.

I don't want to put spoilers in here, but a big character in the stories included in this volume I don't really like... You could argue I'm biased as the character isn't in the television show, but it's more than that. I don't like her personality, but that's just me.


*Thanks to Spokane library, and Hoopla for giving me the opportunity to finally read this.

[Marco]

Não é uma história de origem, é uma de retorno, mas funciona por si só de qualquer forma.
Antes de ler esse quadrinho, eu só tive contato com Super Choque por meio da série animada (que é um dos meus desenhos favoritos), então não estava familiarizado com vários dos personagens que aparecem nesse quadrinho, inclusive esse time Heróis do qual o Virgil fez parte.
Gostei da referência ao uniforme da animação e foi legal perceber que o humor do Virgil é o mesmo em diferentes mídias. Essa não é a única similaridade, mas as diferenças são mais notáveis. De qualquer forma, dá pra aproveitar ambas as obras.

[SaDarius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man this was an emotional read for me. Static has been one of my favorite superheroes since I was a child and being able to experience some of the OG stories is a moment that I will relish forever. Rebirth of the cool for sure 😎

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. This collection didn’t do much for me. I got a little over halfway through it and gave up on it.

[Bill Coffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, frenetic supers book by a creator who we lost well before it was time. Thanks for giving us this and everything else, Dwayne. You were an original that mattered. And you still do.

[doowopapocalypse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very mature and grounded series. McDuffie creates a very realistic world without making it super GRIM. Static is a hero with a huge heart and his journey is wonderful.

[Nicolas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This only made me want to read the classic run of Static even more. I wish DC had more on the app!

We covered Static over on Comic Book Coffee Break: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/fr...

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more of a conventional superhero story-kid with a secret identity and a girl he's crushing on balancing multiple responsibilities-so not the kind of thing I usually read and I don`t have a lot to compare it to but I liked it, the dialogue was very early 90s which is a good thing. The first half is origin story and set up the character`s non-secret life. The second half is a miniseries that I was less into, partly because the art made deciphering action scenes pretty hard, though it was still good and introduced a lot of likable characters.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this quite a bit. A little dated (the first issues were written in 1993, and hip-hop culture does not age well), but a very believable teen hero...

[Thomas Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a Static Shock fan this will be a great read however this book is slow at times still a great read.

[Akilah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it, just not as much as the TV show.

[Perry Mayfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Static shock is the man