Home > COMICS > [REVIEW] PILOT SEASON'S 'TWILIGHT GUARDIAN'
[REVIEW] PILOT SEASON'S 'TWILIGHT GUARDIAN'
Wizard Universe takes an early look at Top Cow's first release from 2008's Pilot Season one-shots!
By Jim Gibbons
Posted 5/20/2008
When Pilot Season 2008 was announced at this year's Wizard World Los Angeles, there was one preview image in particular that drew my eye. Twilight Guardian's promo of a young woman in a hoodie and domino mask standing against a wall in what appeared to be a suburban neighborhood just jumped out at me as a character that I could get behind. Something seemed extremely average yet, at the same time, extremely unique about her. The image delivered what appeared to be perfect juxtaposition for a spin on the superhero genre and make a really engaging read. Plus, Reza' art looked pretty awesome, so I was hooked and ready to dive into Twilight Guardian as soon as it hit stands.
When Top Cow sent out a review copy this week the moment of truth had come. Had I placed hope in a book that would fail to capture me as much as it's promo image had? No. Troy Hickman's revisitation of this character from Tales of the Pathetic Club delivers right from the get-go and finished through with one of the most compelling single issues I've ever read in a good long time.
The book follows a woman who patrols the same nine blocks of her neighborhood every night to uphold justice. It's familiar plot-scenery in comics—a hero who's sworn to protect their stomping grounds—but Hickman's book doesn't tread a line that can be described as average or normal by any means. This OCD vigilante sees herself as the protector of her average American neck of the woods, and as readers we get to see every little tick of what that person's like.
The Twilight Guardian's no Frank Miller-esque Daredevil swinging from the rooftops of Hell's Kitchen striking fear into the lowlifes of New York City. Appearing to be nothing more than a woman out for a stroll with her mask on a bit after Halloween, the heroine crosses paths with more stray cats then supervillains, but the book is no less compelling for lack of fist-fights. Hickman's interior monologue for his heroic lead is so spot-on for classic comics that you have to laugh at how well he honors and pokes fun at the comic yarns of yesteryear while he makes you wonder what drives this fairly normal woman to be such a diligent do-gooder. And while the plot hints at a possible traumatic event that could have turned this civilian into a crusader, the biggest crime of this book (and best reason to get your ass online to vote for it) is that we just get a brief window into her crazy but compelling world and none of the answers behind why she does what she does. We see the neuroses of what she does, and the constant search for the "why" make this book a compulsive page-turner.
In reading Twilight Guardian, I was pleasantly surprised the book didn't just keep me on the edge of my seat, but kept me guessing. The Twilight Guardian is driven by routine, and by book's end you're dying to see more of the little events that take her out of it. How will she react? What will she do? What goofy-line about her crime-fighting equipment will she speak with such sincerity that you have to giggle at while getting pulled farther into this enigmatic character?
As an introduction the book couldn't be better, as it delves into the character just enough to whet your appetite and endear the quirky heroine to readers. But, as a one-shot, the book will be so completely frustrating words could hardly be used to describe it. I want to know more about this character! It may only be the first of six promising Pilot Season books, but my vote's in! I want more Twilight Guardian!
