What I like about King is his meta intentions in his works. There seems to usually be a direct conversation with the reader without a prescriptive answer, and a rumination on the form of comics itself usually included in the bundle.

In this case, an investigator is put on a case where an attempted assassination led to the deaths of two costume wearing seemingly nobodies. One of them presenting as the titular “hero”. The plot is mainly about ideas themselves, and how they can colonize individuals. Conspiracy theories are seductive because of their appeal to creating a specific out-group, but also because a very good story can radicalize and galvanize individuals. The themes, coupled to a pretty fun plot thread and back story to these people believing they’re doing some good, attempting to assassinate the president elect, prompt interesting questions. That’s what puts it miles ahead of most books that are far less ambitious but probably also more successful.

But the success of the ending of the plot isn’t the point. Think of King like a lobbyist. The story is a way of conveying both sides of an argument, and he’s after the reader themselves - in the meta context I mentioned - and so, even the plot can have a derivative ending, and still succeed at doing what the point of the piece actually is, divorced from simply be a super hero detective story.

Can people, completely apathetic and disaffected by real damage, be changed by stories on a page? Despite consuming and loving stories about absolute morality and good and evil, much of society doesn’t show its ideals. Even in the world of this comic, where super heroes actually existed and fought, rampant corruption and the rise of a “conservative revolution” is heralded with the coming of a new president, wanting, outright, to be the president forever, against the constitution. And is still elected, with sociopathic morals and goals in mind. What would force an individual to act? How far would they go? What is too far, in such a case?

In a typical story like this you learn motive, means, opportunity, possibly, and that’s about it. This is not that story; I can see why it’s polarizing. At the very least, it’s more compelling because it is different.

Also: the hardcover book’s binding is terrible, so I’d warn people away from that format. It digs into the gutter and makes a few pages harder to read. The art style isn’t my favourite either; hence the 4 stars instead of 5. Good paneling and forgettable colours. I think this could have really been more elevated with a pairing of graphic content to the script, which would have sold the dialogue far more, as it is plentiful.