REVIEW: Hero Hourly

Rating if the Book Were a Movie: R

Writer: James Patrick
Artist: Carlos Trigo
Colors: Alex Sollazzo
Letters: Marco Della Verde
Cover: David Dumeer
Editor: Brittany waugaman and Jordan Lowe
Publisher: 21 Pulp

Graduation day. There’s nothing quite like the culmination of all those years of work being acknowledged. I still remember holding my diploma in the air like it was a professional wrestling championship belt I had just won after I walked across that stage. I was ready to set the world on fire.
In “Hero Hourly” we meet Saul on his graduation day… As he reflects upon it from an older and wiser viewpoint. This viewpoint allows us to see what was said in certain situations and what it really means. According to our Saul when the interviewer at a prospective job says, “You’re resume’s impressive, but we’re looking for more than just good grades.” it really means “I’m pretending not to be impressed because I have a small dick which I compensate for with money”.
“We don’t hire just anyone” means “I’m threatened that you will take my office with a skylight and hot secretary”. I think Saul may know what he’s talking about.

Alas. Saul is at this particular interview to get into the exciting world of finance. Just when the market is in a full recession. He won’t be working in this field anytime soon. Saul finds himself working as a telemarketer, which Dante discovered as one of the circles of Hell. Dante never wrote about it because it’s too terrifying.

Fortunately for Saul, his uncle has connections that get him hired to a company called Hero Hourly. It can’t be any worse than telemarketing or fast food, right? 

The person that created Hero Hourly was a chemistry major in college. He concocted a serum that gives people powers, including super strength and the ability to fly, for about nine hours. Instead of thinking about with great power comes great responsibility he patented it and got a business loan.

The rest of the way we get to watch Saul learn the ins and outs of being a hero. We also see Saul growing as a person, both personally and professionally. Will all the knowledge and experience he’s gained be enough to help him defeat Foreclosure? This is most Saul’s fearsome enemy yet. And he’s got a lot of work to do if he wants to stand a chance in this fight.

 Artwork: .75 Stars

From cover to cover the artwork is incredible! The attention to detail reminds me a lot of Jim Lee’s work. I especially liked the way Super Konga was portrayed.

Story: 1 Star

This story is a coming of age story for when you’re done with college and trying to decide what you want to be when you grow up. The character development is superb. I think at some point in our work histories we’ve all worked with a Leroy. Too bad more of us weren’t able to do something about it.

Dialogue: .75 Stars

There is a lot of information in the dialogue of “Hero Hourly” to help move the story along. There are also some valuable life tips that will help readers living in the college dorms with roommates to get rid of all the pressure that is building up. 

Editing: 1 Star

The lettering in this book is terrific. The story is well organized and put together. I never found myself having to read a page a second time to understand what had happened. 

Mechanics: 1 Star

“Zero Hourly” is easy to fall into. Saul is a very relatable character. Up until he finds himself working at Hero Hourly many of us have been in the exact same place he was. Fresh out of college and ready to take the world by storm. We’ve (at least I) had the god awful roommates that are obnoxious and steal your food. This book was a trip down memory lane.

The story reminds me of Superhero “Avenue Q”, without puppets and music. It’s a fast paced, hilarious take on the side of superheroes that we don’t give much thought to. The book comes with a $9.99 cover price, which sounds a little steep until you realize you are actually getting three issues. That makes each issue cheaper than the ones that this book is sitting next to one the rack. Go out and get your copy!