SUPERMAN 80-PAGE GIANT
Sixpack in "How to be a Superhero"
Guest Staring: Superman
STORY
As the night closes is Gotham, Sixpack the most powerfull protector of Gotham City is ready to get into action, in his dreams, that is. He goes to Metropolis where he decides to help the Man of Steel fight crime. He brutally kicks Lex Luthor's, and Doomsday's butt, but Superman tell him that is not the way a true Superhero acts. |He had no proof against Luthor, and Doomsday is a reformed character, so he should better watch out the next time. And no, he can't burn down the prison facility with all the prisoners inside, because they deserve a second chance. And no, he can't cut the criminal's throat with a broken bottle because he needs a chance to reform. Only when Sixpack realises this, that he needs proof to act, and not use more than brute force necessary he will become a great hero. Sixpack wakes up, and is ready to do some crimefighting. he tries to fly but breaks his teeth in the process, everybody laughs at him, but if only they knew....
CRITISIZING
STORY
Finally our favourite drunkard get his own story. And not only that, but he guest stars with Superman and has a chance to kick some major butt as well. Now, seriously, I had great expectations of this story, but I can't help but feel somehow dissapointed. The Ennis dialog is absent, and is replaced by Superman's blabbing. However, Sixpack is definetely not a character that is errr...shall we say....the best man to do dialog with ,as he is a loon. The famous Ennis humour is somehow repressed. However this is a Kids story (remember this is the Superman 80-page Special), and we definetely couldn't have Sixpack kill someone. However we do have him kick Lex Luthor's and Doomday's butt, and those scenes are a delight, especially when you see the reformed Doomsday cry.
So, we got the Sixpack one-shot after all. What next? Lets just hope we get a mini-series, or a Section Eight one-off next. I'll be waiting anxiously for the next time Sixpack gets his chance. I just hope it won't be a kids story this time.
ART
Unfortunately, John McCrea didn't do the art in this issue whick is really a pity since I believed he would be the ideal peson to do a Sixpack story. Nelson takes on the pencils, and Clem Robins takes on the inks of the story. Their interpretation of Tommy, Natt, and Sean, in the first and last panels in a bit different. Tommy is displayed as a Clint-like character and I am not sure I like that. Fortunately, the way Sixpack is illustrated in this story is much better. They manage to capture the characters madness, helped by the fact that he is a drunk. The scenes where they display Sixpack beating Luthor's head to a pulp and beating up Doomsday, and their subsequent reactions after this are great. In overall the artwork had ups and downs, very much like Sixpack's belly in the story.
Note: John McCrea DID do the artwork in another story in the 80-page giant, and did a great work there as well. Check the Special out!