Local Man is a comic book series written and drawn by Tony Fleecs and Tim Seeley for Image Comics, set in the Image Universe. Each issue has a lead story written by Fleecs and Seeley with art by Fleecs and a flashback story, drawn by Seeley. The colorists are Brad Simpson, Felipe Sobreiro, and Brian Reber.
| Local Man | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Image Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Crime Noir, Superhero |
| Publication date | February 2023 |
| No. of issues | 14 (and 2 specials) |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Tony Fleecs |
| Artist(s) | Tim Seeley |
| Colorist(s) | Brad Simpson, Felipe Sobreiro, Brian Reber |
| Collected editions | |
| Heartland | ISBN 978-1534399587 |
| The Dry Season | ISBN 978-1534397361 |
| Lost Ones | ISBN 978-1534373204 |
It launched in February 2023. Fleecs described the book as: "a guy that used to be a 1990s Image Comic superhero. Now it’s today, and he’s sort of canceled and fired from his job as a superhero. He has to move home with his folks in the Midwest, and everybody in town hates him."[1]
On the release schedule, he added: "Every arc we do a story and then we’ll do a one-shot in between to sort of bring in new readers, give you something, because the book is really ’90s focused."
Reception
editReviews for the series have been largely positive. Games Radar placed the series at number 25 for its best comics of 2023, noting it was: "A treat for anyone who read '90s superhero comics, especially the first generation of Image titles".[2] The Hollywood Reporter included the series in its 2023 round-up of best new series, writing: "It's a book that should be a joke – and believe us, it's got plenty of those – but it somehow manages to be a well-thought out superhero noir that moves beyond simple nostalgia."[3] It was also an honorable mention in IGN's list,[4] plus came in at number 74 of Comic Book Resources' best comics for 2023.[5]
Issues
edit| Issue | Released | Plot |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 22 Feb 2023 | Once, Jack Xaver, star recruit of the media sensation super-team Third Gen, had it all. But when controversy sends Crossjack crawling back to his mom and dad's basement in the Midwest, Jack struggles to fit into a world he left far behind. And then the bodies start piling up. |
| #2 | 29 Mar 2023 | |
| #3 | 26 Apr 2023 | |
| #4 | 31 May 2023 | |
| #5 | 28 Jun 2023 | |
| Gold | 30 Aug 2023 | Jack comes face to face with his explosive past when his superhero alter ego is blasted into modern-day Farmington by a massive cosmic event. |
| #6 | 18 Oct 2023 | Jack Xaver, Farmington's very own Local Man, is called in to investigate a mysterious drowning on dry land. The problem is, Jack isn't legally allowed to be a superhero. Oh, also, he's sleeping with the police chief's wife. |
| #7 | 29 Nov 2023 | |
| #8 | 27 Dec 2023 | |
| #9 | 31 Jan 2024 | |
| Bad Girls | 27 Mar 2024 | Local Man's former girlfriend is now on the run, where she runs into superhero, Neon. |
| #10 | 22 May 2024 | Jack Xavier needs to hide out alongside an ally from his past. |
| #11 | 3 Jul 2024 | |
| #12 | 24 Jul 2024 | |
| #13 | 23 Aug 2024 | |
| #25 | 16 Oct 2024 | Local Man jumps ahead a year, offering a glimpse of the future. |
Collected Editions
editTrade Paperbacks
edit| Vol | Title | Material collected | Pages | Released | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heartland | Local Man #1–5 | 172 | 4 Oct 2023 | 978-1534399587 |
| 2 | The Dry Season | Local Man #6–9, Local Man Gold | 168 | 2 Apr 2024 | 978-1534397361 |
| 3 | Lost Ones | Local Man #10-13, #25, Local Man: Bad Girls | 176 | 26 Nov 2024 | 978-1534373204 |
References
edit- ^ Deanna Destito (25 March 2024). "Interview: TONY FLEECS is having a moment". Comics Beat. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ "The 25 best comics of 2023". Games Radar. 14 December 2023. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "'Birds of Prey,' 'Transformers,' 'I Am Stan' and More: Heat Vision's Best Comics of 2023". The Hollywood Reporter. 27 December 2023. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "The Best Comic Book Series or Original Graphic Novel of 2023". IGN. 11 December 2023. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.
- ^ "CBR's Top 100 Comics of 2023". Comic Book Resources. January 2024. Retrieved Feb 26, 2024.