Champions Of Earth #1 Review: Superheroes With Secrets

By Alex Widen | Aug 10, 2016

Scarab and Jupiter Man are the Champions of Earth, but is it all based on a lie? And can the world handle the truth?

Champions Of Earth #1

Writers: Alexander Banchitta & James Riccardo

Artist: Koko Amboro

Toning: Scott Shriver

Cover: Jerry Gaylord, Scott Shriver & Gabe Pinto

Love them or loathe them, superheroes have been the dominant genre in monthly comic books since before most readers’ parents (or grandparents) were born. Even publishers whose specialty is in other areas usually reveal some sort of superhero comic eventually, even if only to put a new spin on it. Such is the case of Fright Comics, a bold new publisher whose first two series debut at next week’s Wizard World Chicago. The first is Captives, and the second is Champions of Earth.

Champions of Earth starts off in what could be called a fairly typical fashion for the genre. Two superheroes arrive to protect a damsel from deadly villains. In this case, it is the wisecracking Scarab and the deathly serious Jupiter Man who have come to save pop singer Candy Cutie from a gang of ninjas. Because any superhero story is better with ninjas … just ask Daredevil.

However, the Scarab and Jupiter Man are more than just vigilantes. They’ve harnessed the public good will around them into lucrative salaries, extensive charity donations, musicals, and even product endorsements! The pair even have plenty of time to appear on a syndicated talk show and reveal the secrets of their so called origins to their adoring public.

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It becomes readily apparent to the reader, however, that both of their identities are based on lies. Jupiter Man is not an alien hero from another world, but a small town guy whose decision to drink and drive to escape the stress in his life caused him to literally collide with a source of alien power. The Scarab, meanwhile, is a privileged slacker who happened to survive an accident at a laboratory he himself caused, gaining bizarre powers at the cost of the lives of everyone else inside.

In fact, this world’s two genuine heroes, Captain Galaxy and Crimson Phantom, have been successfully framed and are locked up in prison. And while the Phantom wants to escape the jail and avenge themselves, the Captain insists that they obey the laws and seek legal recourse. To a degree the pair are riffs on Superman and Batman, and finding points of comparison is fun. Quite how the pair unseated these two former champions is a secret for another issue.

The art by Amboro and Shriver is quite good, mingling influences from traditional manga with more mainstream Western styles into one cohesive whole. The opening sequence with the ninjas provides a great introduction to the series, with solid line work and creative character designs throughout. Jupiter Man is more in line with a typical superhero, while the Scarab seems only a few degrees removed from the look of a hero from a Japanese TV show.

Banchitta and Riccardo quickly establish the tone of the series from the opening panels. Things are not intended to be taken with the utmost seriousness, yet things are occasionally serious enough for it to qualify as darker comedy. This isn’t a story about two Champions of Earth, but two jerks who have capitalized on some strange fortunes to eke out a new life for themselves at the expense of some of those around them.

Scarab and Jupiter Man may be terrible superheroes, but they appeal to many of us who have darker urges or who may not be the best at our jobs. If given half a chance to get everything you wanted, who wouldn’t bend some rules here and there? In addition, the premise is interesting enough that it will be entertaining to see if the pair’s con gets unraveled, or if they manage to maintain it with their usual dumb luck and tenacious attitudes.

Considering how many other companies out there have superhero comics, any new one from a smaller publisher has to quickly stake some fertile new ground. Champions of Earth does so with memorable characters, a uniquely sardonic sense of humor, and a premise which flips the script on so many examples of the genre. If you’re looking for a superhero series with a twist that can truly go anywhere, Champions of Earth may be for you!