Second Wave Review: Dial H #1

Dial H #1 (China Miéville, Mateus Sanotlouco) -

Comic companies never know what they are going to get when they bring a creator from another medium into the comic book industry. Their big new hire could be the next Neil Gaiman...or it could be the next Adam Glass. While there have been a few Hollywood types that have successfully made the transition, some of the biggest names in comics have come from the world of genre fiction. It makes sense, then, that DC would return to the well that brought them Gaiman, Stephen King, and Brad Meltzer in hopes of bringing a new voice to the DCnU.

Novelist China Miéville makes his comic book debut with a brand new re-imagining of the Dial H for Hero concept. In keeping with some of the more interesting choices in the First Wave of the New 52, Dial H is a character that hasn't been used regularly in a long time. A patently Silver Age concept where a regular person turns into a different superhero with every twist of a magical dial, the character was last revived for twenty-two issues back in 2003. After one issue, it's safe to say that the 2012 version of Dial H will be a significant departure from that series.

Miéville's Dial H #1 is a fast-paced introduction to the concept and character that lays the groundwork for an intriguing series. The concept is this: Fat loser has a magical phone box next to his house that can turn him into a random superhero whenever he dials 4376, or H-E-R-O. It's apparent from the very beginning that Miéville's relentless creativity will fill the book with superheroics unlike anything we have ever seen before. Within this issue alone, the hero turns into a dapper, grotesque man with smoke powers and a goth superhero that induces and feeds on the sadness of his victims.

The art by Mateus Sanotlouco fits the tone of the book perfectly. This script has a darkness to it and his art captures that. The pages are filled with a grimy reality. Boy Chimney (the aforementioned dapper grotesque) seems to jump of the page while assaulting some street toughs, but he fits the world that Miéville and Sanotlouco have created.

There is very little to complain about with Dial H #1. The pacing is a little wonky but that can be forgiven when you consider just how much has been crammed into the issue. This is one of the most exciting first issues I have read from the entire New 52. Conceptually, it's outside of the box. The book's execution is strong and the art works well with the subject matter. More than anything, I am excited to see what kind of insane new heroes Miéville will come up with on a monthly basis.