The Experts vol 1 ( Neat Mint Press – Minter / Pruitt )
Harkening back to the days of Mystery Men and The Specials, The Experts are a team of freaks, geeks, underdogs, and has-beens that decide to take a run at being super-heroes. Unfortunately, they spend more time tripping over each other to get much done. Just because you have powers, doesn’t mean you know how to use them.
The Experts founders (Frost Queen and the Scotsman) are a couple of past their prime heroes who see their new team as a means to make a profit in their twilight years. They seem more interested in advertising and merchandising dollars (and in Frost Queen’s view, some new boy-toys) than they do in training a new generation of Earth’s defenders. Three new recruits Ninja Witch ( a young green skinned woman with supernatural powers and throwing stars), Naked Man ( a jock with big ego, and no he’s not naked), and Free Spirit ( an ex-gymnast, who’s also not naked) round out the team with some veterans: Doctor Delta ( a mystic with a taste for some back-country lovin), the Emerald Yeti ( a walking carpet with Jim Crow values), and Mr. Elaztik ( the stretchy and plucky comic relief). Each member of the team was chosen to appeal to a money spending demographic and the ability to work for peanuts.
Pulling from the both the light and darker fair of the Silver Age, writer Kenn Minter pulls much of what we loved from the classics of a bygone era into The Experts. The retro tone is never taken too seriously, but you still get the idea that the emotions the characters are feeling are very real. Whether it’s chasing a bad guy, having your boss do your job for you, or selling your soul to the devil, you get the idea that the stress is real. Couple that with Clarence Pruitt’s familiar, yet unique, style and you have comic from the past that works in today’s market.
Bottom line is this book is just a good time.
Look for The Experts in next months Previews from Diamond Comics distributors under the Near Mint Press heading.
Grade: B+
