Kevin Smith, like Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Alan Moore, I could go on… is a part of that illustrious group of people whose name will forever invoke images of superheroes and comic books. His passion for the artform has invaded every part of his soul and turned him into a worldwide comic book and movie icon. So when the man that bleeds kryptonite and shits web fluid puts his very influential pen to paper to create a new hero, or anti-hero as the case may be, the world sits up to pay attention.

With Maskerade, his newest outing, Smith has made use of all the classic comic book elements, whilst somehow keeping the content fresh and relevant, with his protagonist pulling influences from everything from Batman to  The Watchmen. Revenge is the order of the day for social media starlet Felicia Dance, whose face (and ass) is recognisable anywhere in the civilised world. So taking sweet, sick revenge on those who kept her and her brothers in captivity, while running horrific tests on them could prove tricky. So in true Bruce Wayne style, she’ll need a change of face. But this time a simple rubber mask will not suffice, Dance whose face was left horrifically scarred in trials to find the ultimate anti-aging treatment, has a mask that can take the form of anybody’s face, and she puts this to good use, systematically tracking down and punishing her abusers.

Like I said, classic comic book fodder, but Smith’s clever writing, witty banter, and penchant for dropping in all manner of comic book easter eggs, make this a slick slice of work. The sinister backdrop to the action,  is a city now simply known as “The Trench” and is vividly brought to life by artist John Sprengelmeyer and Giulia Brusco, who aren’t afraid to spray the claret over the wall when required or provide a stark piece of imagery to bring a point home. The book starts off with an intro to the character from Smith himself and a tale of how he has attempted to woo J.J Abrams to the project for the benefit of TV audiences, and if that happens then colour me delirious, but in the meantime, get ahead of the game by getting your hands on Maskerade now via Dark Horse Comics. You’ll be glad you did…Chris Andrews

 

Pre-order the Anti-Heros new album Devil At My Heels here