A comiXologist Recommends:
Jonah Chuang recommends Strongman Vol. 1

Charles Soule and Allen Gladfelter’s Strongman is a well-constructed tale of triumph, tragedy, despair, and redemption. There are really great elements from the superhero genre, dark comedy,  spaghetti western, and mystery, with an overarching tone of noir. I realize that sounds like a lot– basically, it’s a darkly funny, masked hero drama placed in a wild, southwest showdown setting, with a luchador version of Sam Spade as the tragic protagonist. Argh, that’s not simple at all, is it? How about this: It’s a great book.

Soule, of Death of Wolverine, Inhuman, Letter 44, Superman/Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing fame, (impressive, right?) knows how to craft a story. It’s over over 100 pages (for only $4.99) and never feels like it’s dragging. I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll just sum up the basics: our hero is called Tigre, a former movie star/wrestler/costumed hero from Mexico who, at the height of his glory, faced an immense tragedy and fell to the darkest depths, then the dirtiest gutters. He drinks to numb the pain and clumsily stumbles through life (all while still wearing his luchador mask, and no one seems to notice). Then, a mysterious and alluring woman wanders into his life needing his help, and suddenly Tigre is pulled into a world of shady dealings, high stakes with powerful villains, and personal demons.

Tigre is pretty much a perfect character. The luchador aspect of his identity lends a sense of nobility and cultural significance, and is such a big part of Tigre, but it’s just understated enough to not be distracting. He’s noble and strong, but flawed and human as well. He’s tough, but can be hurt, so the story is still relatable and exciting.

[Read Strongman vol. 1 on comiXology]

Jonah Chuang  is a Production Coordinator Assistant at comiXology and a Ravenclaw.