Written by Mark Sable & David Roth
Drawn by PJ Holden
Published by Image Comics
Superheroes, without getting into an escaped MA dissertation, are our best elements enhanced, our greatest assets given form. They're invincible, untouchable, god-like at times. What they aren't, is painfully human and desperately, desperately broken. Until now that is. Sable, Roth and Holden have created a character who is both unique and oddly plausible, a figure who is as broken as we are and all the more heroic for that.
Fear is the skull-headed scourge of the underworld, a figure the police refuse to acknowledge and the criminals know to fear. Adam Rygert is a feckless millionaire who uses his abuse of his father's legacy to cover the crippling hyper-anxiety that means he can barely move. They are both, the same man, Adam able to act as fear thanks to a chemical compound developed by his teacher, Fearless, ruthless and increasingly addicted to the drug, Adam lives a far greater life than he ever thought possible. But now, the criminals know what he is.
Sable and Roth set up a complex world effortlessly and know enough to gloss over the details (Entertainingly, Adam doesn't know how the serum works. He only cares that it does) as well as provide some unusually subtle character beats. There's a moment between Adam and his girlfriend, who knows his secret, that may show far more than it first appears and it'll be fascinating to see how that plays out. Similarly, Holden's expressive, dynamic angles and distinctive character work really makes the book shine. The two page spread of Fear flying over the city and the action scenes are particular standouts, as is the final page.
This is smart, fast paced and gripping superheroics with a unique twist and a great central character. A hero despite himself, Adam Rygert deserves to be around for a long time to come.