Publisher: Dynamite
Writer: Kyle Higgins and Joe Gentile
Artist: Alexandre Shibao
Colourist: Natalia Marques
Release Date: 18 October 2017
Price: $3.99
Justice Inc: The Avenger #3 Faces of Justice would like to point out that other Avenger-type titles are also available from other publishers. That was a public service announcement on behalf of Captain Copyright.
Now, on with the motley. Created by Paul Ernst in 1939, The Avenger was a hybrid of then current pulp favourites Doc Savage and The Shadow and had a short-lived three year run until the series was cancelled in 1942 only to be revived briefly by DC in 1975.
Richard Henry Benson was a millionaire adventurer whose wife and daughter were killed by gangsters. The shock of this loss paralysed his face and turned his hair and skin white and set him on a course to take his revenge on the criminal classes. Echoes of a certain Caped Crusader there you might think, not to mention a Wall Crawler of our acquaintance, and if you add in the fact that The Avenger was also known as The Man Of Steel you could be excused for thinking that The Avenger was a real mix and match hero that really didn’t deserve more than a limited time in the spotlight, but don’t count him out just yet. With his band of helpers: dour Scotsman “Mac” MacMurdie, 6’ 9” genius muscle man, “Smitty” Smith, blonde bombshell Nellie Gray, African American married couple Josh and Rosabel Newton and devil may care Cole Wilson.
Justice Inc: The Avenger Faces of Justice #3 has a modern vibe despite its period setting. The cars and the technology and the Nazi bad guys peg it as 1930’s, but that mini-skirt worn by suspicious but sexy scientist Alex Van Der Beck is a little incongruous and a scene setting intro could have been helpful for latecomers to Justice Inc: The Avenger #3 Faces of Justice just to make sure we’re all up to speed as to where and when we are and what is going on.
The plot of seems to revolve around a mysterious hospital and some nasty experiments but we’re never really clued in as to what. This minor niggle aside, Justice Inc: The Avenger Faces of Justice #3, although not possessing the charisma of The Shadow, is definitely pitching for a long-awaited revival that is going to last more than a handful of issues. The characters of the individual members of Justice Inc. are fleshed out nicely and although The Avenger himself only makes a fleeting appearance in Justice Inc: The Avenger The Faces of Justice #3, he has that brooding, tortured hero thing going for him which never gets old.
All in all, Justice Inc: The Avenger The Faces of Justice #3 is a welcome addition to the annals of classic adventurers.
Reviewer: Gary Orchard
Reviews Editor: Steve Hooker