Cassie’s Aspen Comics Review: IDOLIZED #0

Aspen's first superhero comic and newest series Idolized is high on premise, with a focus on unstable yet fresh faced superhero hopeful Joule. Part superhero comic and part reality television show, the comic follows ten hopeful contestants vying to win the first season of “Superhero Idol” and become one of America’s next heroes in superhero-mecha NYC.

While this is Aspen’s first foray into superheroes, it is by no means the first superhero reality show (real or fictional). This series certainly is reminiscent of 2006 and 2007’s SyFy show (back when it was the Sci Fi Channel) “Who Wants to Be a Superhero?”. Thankfully, this reality take on caped heroes doesn’t seem nearly as painful as its Stan Lee hosted real life counterpart.

Set in a world where superheroes are commonplace and reality shows are mass produced as much as in our universe, “Superhero Idol” is the first of its kind: a superhero reality show. With a majority of the population doing nothing with their powers, except maybe wasting them at dead end jobs, “Superhero Idol” comes along to pluck people with powers from obscurity and fulfill their dreams of becoming a hero.

As with most other reality shows, auditions are held with a celebrity panel to choose contestants, and those hopefuls are cut down even further until we have a core cast ready to compete. In Idolized, ten super power laden contestants are put to the test to see if they have what it takes to be a full-fledged superhero. One winner will be crowned Superhero Idol and will join the Justice League/Avengers type group, the Powered Protectors and fight alongside them.

You’d expect a superhero reality show to end the same way as all other reality shows. The winner gets their 15 minutes of fame, and they fade into obscurity. If they’re lucky, they might get to appear along with other C celebrities on “Celebrity Apprentice”, or more appropriately “Superhero Celebrity Apprentice” in the future. However, with our protagonist Leslie, alias Joule, the cute girl next store with a powerful gift and a taste for revenge, celebrity status might be a little longer lasting. With Leslie seeking fame to exact revenge on her nemesis Stasis, and the will to do it, she might get more than just her 15 minutes.

Based solely off this zero issue, it’s not exactly clear whether the comic will be centered on “Superhero Idol” or the aftermath of a winner being chosen. Regardless, with fun writing, an intriguing protagonist, and some pretty brightly colored panels, Idolized looks like one new series worth a look. The first issue will be on sale at your local comic shop on August 8th.

Story: David Schwartz
Art: Micah Gunnell
Cover A: Micah Gunnell
Cover B: Michael Schwartz
Cover C: Joe Benitez
Cover D: Michael Schwartz
32 Pages/FC
$2.50
On Sale June 27, 2012!