Rating: 4/5 – Imagine a world where everyone has superpowers…except you.
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Adam Alamo.
Whenever I head to my local comic shop to pick up my weekly haul, I always have one or two comics not included in my subscription that I take a look at. Last week, I saw a quick blurb online about a comic where everyone suddenly has superpowers except one person. The comic was called Ordinary, published by Titan Comics. The premise sounded interesting enough and though I wasn’t sure my shop would carry something by this mystery publisher, I decided to keep an eye out. My shop had two copies on the rack, which was lucky for me because this was a super fun comic that I enjoyed immensely.
Indeed, the comic is about your ordinary, running late for a job, dreaming of Scarlett Johansson, owes a gangster money, absent father kind of guy named Michael. Somewhere in this mess of a life, everyone manages to get superpowers…except Michael. Somehow, I don’t think Michael expected any different. He may have been the lucky one, though, because suddenly having superpowers is not all its cracked up to be. Mostly it means death as people spontaneously melt, blow up, shrink, grow, and inevitably get into trouble. One of my favorite things to do was study the background of each panel to see what kind of powers random people on the street were exhibiting and what kind of trouble they were getting into. Even the president has “superpowers,” revealed in some of the funniest panels in the book. Once the initial shock of the chaos wears off, Michael decides that he should step up to the ironic hero role and go save his kid from all the chaos, setting up the next couple issues in this mini-series.
Writer Rob Williams took the simplest of ideas–giving everyone superpowers and making the “hero” of the story the one guy who remained ordinary–and turned it into a truly enjoyable story. It’s one of those ideas that makes you think, “why didn’t I think of that?” He made it interesting, funny, and original. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and pokes fun at the superhero genre in a light and humorous way. Artist D’Israeli provides colorful and funky art that fits the story perfectly. After the ride that was this issue, I foresee more trouble, and fun, in the coming issues, which I will definitely be picking up!
Reviewed by: Adam Alamo
(adam@comicspectrum.com)
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