Ah, B-Sides - the book that publicity forgot.  Which is odd, given that this is fairly obviously a Bill Jemas pet project.  (The giveaway is the "Bill Jemas presents" line above the title.)  Perhaps the hope is that it'll be a cult sleeper hit and then they can shift tons of the trade paperback.  It still seems to have drawn the short end of the marketing stick.

The concept is simple: it's a small town, and the B-Sides are the local superhero team.  They're not very good.

Oddly, the book seems a little confused as to whether it wants to be a comedy or a drama.  Normally the "crap superhero team" concept is played as broad farce.  The comedy-drama hybrid is a very difficult line to walk, especially with a premise as obviously comic as this, and this issue doesn't quite find the balance, erring too far in the direction of taking itself seriously.

Oh, and add me to the list of people who don't have a clue why one of the characters is called Mize.  I'm seemingly meant to get it, but either I'm being stupid or it's a purely American reference.  Whichever, it means absolutely nothing to me.

The cast were designed by Evan Dorkin, but he doesn't actually contribute any art to the book itself.  Instead we have a cover by Sam Kieth and art on the lead story by Brett Weldele.  Weldele's loose and sketchy art style fits nicely with the vaguely underground feel that the book seems to be going for, and for the most part I like the look.  Oddly, though, he makes a real hash of the Fantastic Four's brief guest appearance.  As the token "real" superheroes of the story, they really need to retain their credibility for contrast purposes, and what we get is... well, just downright ugly.

In a bizarre contrast, there's an origin back-up strip illustrated by ChrisCross - one of those ludicrous clashes of art style which will really screw up the flow of the trade paperback.  This one seems to be played a little more for laughs.  Or perhaps it's just the different art styles altering the emphasis.  Bizarrely, despite being supposedly set in the Marvel Universe - which is sort of key to the whole smalltown heroes concept - there's talk of a superhero university of some kind.  I'm never a big fan of pick-n-mix continuity.

The central idea is quite nice, but the story never quite seems to come together.  It seems to be trying to be too many things at once, and never quite succeeds with any. 

Rating: B-

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