cover image Hype

Hype

Jimmy Palmiotti et al. Adaptive, $12.99 trade paper (64p) ISBN 978-1945293-16-0

This crowdfunded thriller from the veteran writing team of Palmiotti and Gray (Monolith, Denver) examines the pitfalls of being a superhuman—or, more exactly, of being a superhuman’s support person. Scientist Amanda Marr is recruited against her will to apply her research to help military-engineered superhuman Noah embrace his humanity, as an integral part of being a weapon. Amanda is forced to cram her work into 45-minute sessions, the maximum amount of time each day Noah can be awake and functional, in a relationship that often seems like that of a child and his nanny. The Frankenstein allusions of the story are apt: What if the monster had around-the-clock care meant to foster his gentle qualities and slowly introduce him to the rest of humanity? The low-key ending gives this story an episodic feel, with a suggestion that perhaps more chapters are forthcoming. While the concept isn’t fresh, it avoids the pitfalls of a clichéd action thriller to become a more thoughtful drama. (Jan.)