Local Man (comics)
| Local Man | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Image Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Crime Noir, Superhero |
| Publication date | February 2023 |
| No. of issues | 14 (and 2 specials) |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Tony Fleecs |
| Artist(s) | Tim Seeley |
| Colorist(s) | Brad Simpson, Felipe Sobreiro, Brian Reber |
| Collected editions | |
| Heartland | ISBN 978-1534399587 |
| The Dry Season | ISBN 978-1534397361 |
| Lost Ones | ISBN 978-1534373204 |
Local Man is a comic book series written and drawn by Tony Fleecs and Tim Seeley for Image Comics, set in the Image Universe. Each issue has a lead story written by Fleecs and Seeley with art by Fleecs and a flashback story, drawn by Seeley. The colorists are Brad Simpson, Felipe Sobreiro, and Brian Reber.
It launched in February 2023. Fleecs described the book as: "a guy that used to be a 1990s Image Comic superhero. Now it’s today, and he’s sort of canceled and fired from his job as a superhero. He has to move home with his folks in the Midwest, and everybody in town hates him."[1]
On the release schedule, he added: "Every arc we do a story and then we’ll do a one-shot in between to sort of bring in new readers, give you something, because the book is really ’90s focused."
The series ended with issue #25 in November 2024.[2]
Reception
[edit]Reviews for the series have been largely positive. Games Radar placed the series at number 25 for its best comics of 2023, noting it was: "A treat for anyone who read '90s superhero comics, especially the first generation of Image titles".[3] The Hollywood Reporter included the series in its 2023 round-up of best new series, writing: "It's a book that should be a joke – and believe us, it's got plenty of those – but it somehow manages to be a well-thought out superhero noir that moves beyond simple nostalgia."[4] It was also an honorable mention in IGN's list,[5] plus came in at number 74 of Comic Book Resources' best comics for 2023.[6]
Issues
[edit]| Issue | Released | Plot |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 22 Feb 2023 | Once, Jack Xaver, star recruit of the media sensation super-team Third Gen, had it all. But when controversy sends Crossjack crawling back to his mom and dad's basement in the Midwest, Jack struggles to fit into a world he left far behind. And then the bodies start piling up. |
| #2 | 29 Mar 2023 | |
| #3 | 26 Apr 2023 | |
| #4 | 31 May 2023 | |
| #5 | 28 Jun 2023 | |
| Gold | 30 Aug 2023 | Jack comes face to face with his explosive past when his superhero alter ego is blasted into modern-day Farmington by a massive cosmic event. |
| #6 | 18 Oct 2023 | Jack Xaver, Farmington's very own Local Man, is called in to investigate a mysterious drowning on dry land. The problem is, Jack isn't legally allowed to be a superhero. Oh, also, he's sleeping with the police chief's wife. |
| #7 | 29 Nov 2023 | |
| #8 | 27 Dec 2023 | |
| #9 | 31 Jan 2024 | |
| Bad Girls | 27 Mar 2024 | Local Man's former girlfriend is now on the run, where she runs into superhero, Neon. |
| #10 | 22 May 2024 | Jack Xavier needs to hide out alongside an ally from his past. |
| #11 | 3 Jul 2024 | |
| #12 | 24 Jul 2024 | |
| #13 | 23 Aug 2024 | |
| #25 | 16 Oct 2024 | Local Man jumps ahead a year, offering a glimpse of the future. |
Collected Editions
[edit]Trade Paperbacks
[edit]| Vol | Title | Material collected | Pages | Released | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heartland | Local Man #1–5 | 172 | 4 Oct 2023 | 978-1534399587 |
| 2 | The Dry Season | Local Man #6–9, Local Man Gold | 168 | 2 Apr 2024 | 978-1534397361 |
| 3 | Lost Ones | Local Man #10-13, #25, Local Man: Bad Girls | 176 | 26 Nov 2024 | 978-1534373204 |
References
[edit]- ^ Deanna Destito (25 March 2024). "Interview: TONY FLEECS is having a moment". Comics Beat. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ Zalben, Alex. "'Local Man' Surprise Ending With Today's Issue". Comic Book Club. Archived from the original on 19 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ "The 25 best comics of 2023". Games Radar. 14 December 2023. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "'Birds of Prey,' 'Transformers,' 'I Am Stan' and More: Heat Vision's Best Comics of 2023". The Hollywood Reporter. 27 December 2023. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "The Best Comic Book Series or Original Graphic Novel of 2023". IGN. 11 December 2023. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "CBR's Top 100 Comics of 2023". Comic Book Resources. January 2024. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.