Twilight City is home to the lovable losers known as the Minor Threats.
The city also has its fair shares of loners and failures that never reached the pinnacle of success.
These are their stories.
MINOR THREATS: WELCOME TO TWILIGHT - VILLAINS AND VIGNETTES #1 by Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, Mark Waid, Scott Kolins, Mike Mignola, Cary Nord, Ian Herring, Dave Stewart, & Nate Piekos welcomes back the fan favorite anthology!
Let’s see what stories have been unlocked now.
MINOR THREATS: WELCOME TO TWILIGHT - VILLAINS AND VIGNETTES #1 by Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, Mark Waid, Scott Kolins, Mike Mignola, Cary Nord, Ian Herring, Dave Stewart, & Nate Piekos
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The issue has a compilation of multiple stories. Due to the amount, the overview of each tale will be shorter than usual reviews.
“The System” by Waid, Oswalt, Blum, Kolins, Herring and Piekos
Vinnie Longo has high aspirations of becoming a superhero. Dumping all his money into a “powers” scam, Longo faces real world problems instead of the fantasy dream he craves. Waid pulls no punches in presenting the delusion of Longo’s world. Sacrificing his marriage, money and future over a fast scheme spirals out of control fast. The breakdown is swift and jarring. Kolins locks in on the manic behavior as reality sinks in. This leads to a chilling ending, fitting for the Minor Threats universe. Excellent opening tale.
MORE MINOR THREATS!
“The Story of the Stomp” by Oswalt, Blum, Mignola, Stewart and Piekos
A two page look at the life and tragic death of a Kaiju in Twilight City. The writing, while brief, hits all the key emotions before the untimely finish. Mignola’s art is everything fans would expect from the legend. Even in its short spaces, panels feel larger than life right to the very end. The closing image is a bittersweet one, but still grabs the audience before bowing out.
“Rumblehawk” by Hepburn, nord, Herring and Piekos
Before becoming crime lord Playtime, Frankie Follis was an average kid believing in Superheroes. Palling around with “Rumblehawk” from her favorite TV show, Follis is inspired to help when a fellow resident is in trouble. Hepburn takes the writing helm as Follis goes through many sides on a dangerous mission. Nord focuses in on the youthful ignorance of the real world to allow a kid to live their dram. Reality may cause a change of pace but not before laying the groundwork for a vastly different path.
OVERALL GRADE: 9
Twilight City never fails in delivering classic tales of hopelessness and redemption in this stunning debut. Each story carries a unique vision of the city’s residents, with “The System” breaking away from the pack. Each art team crafts imaginative looks while keeping events surprisingly grounded (even with a Kaiju involved). A wild ride into the city than never rests on its’ laurels.
Let me know your thoughts on MINOR THREATS: WELCOME TO TWILIGHT - VILLAINS AND VIGNETTES #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
