Huck #1

Image Comics

Written by: Mark Millar

Art by: Rafael Albuquerque

This town has a secret and its Huck, a man with learning difficulties and superpowers that he uses to do a good deed everyday. As an infant Huck was left at an orphanage and raised to do a good deed everyday. As an adult Huck lives and works in a small town still managing to get in a good deed everyday. The deed can be as small as finding a lost necklace, or as big as rescuing hostages in North Africa. In this opening issue we see him do that and more.

Along with Huck we’re introduced to Diane, a woman who seems to be new in town and unaware of Huck’s abilities. We also meet Ms. Taylor, a kind elderly woman who like everyone else in town wants to keep Huck’s abilities a secret. As the story goes on we see a town of people that care about Huck and want his secret kept in order to protect him. Diane on the other hand, is shocked that a town would keep something this huge from the world. When Diane and her husband see hostages on TV unwilling to share the identity of their savior, they quickly realize it was Huck. The issue ends with the couple making a choice that could change Huck’s life forever.

Mark Millar is responsible for a lot of beloved series and this is already my favorite. Millar delivered a heartwarming hero and a wholesome story without unnecessary violence. A hero that has taken us back to an age of comics long before my time, an age filled with nicer heroes. Along with a great story we get gorgeous visuals drawn by Rafael Albuquerque, and colored by Craig McCaig. Both are incredible and perfect for this series. The visuals have an air to them that not only compliments the story but really brings out the innocent qualities in our hero. The colors were chosen perfectly adding to the heartwarming story.

I loved this comic having now read it cover to cover three times. Everything about this comic from the visuals to the colors to the script were incredibly well done.

What really struck a chord with me was finding out about Huck’s learning difficulties. Throughout my life I’ve had similar problems and now having a strong character with similar issues is a big deal. I love daredevil for a similar reason, we both battle depression. Millar could’ve made Huck into a joke or turned him into Lenny from Of Mice & Men. Luckily he didn’t, Millar gave us Huck, a man striving to do good with his abilities. Millar gave a lot of people a strong tastefully done character to dive into

I can’t recommend this issue enough. If you enjoy a strong lead character, great art, or a simple story this is for you. Millar wanted to create a hero to “lift our spirits in the darkest time,” and he succeeded. With all the violence, moral ambiguity, and darkness in comics Millar has offered a lighthearted alternative that I didn’t know I wanted.