One-Star Squadron

This is a superhero comic with virtually no superheroics. And that's probably the first point to make about this - if you're expecting action or any of the usual sort of stuff, you're going to be disappointed. What we actually have starts out as a low-key comedy about C-list superheroes working in the gig economy, with Red Tornado struggling to hold it together against rebellious or washed-up employees. (Power Girl is the only other significant DC hero in this, other than a walk-on part by Superman, and she doesn't come out of it very well to begin with).

What saves this tale of minor heroes struggling with everyday life is that the comedy transforms, over the course of the six issues, into something initially bleaker, and eventually more uplifting. It's partly, of course, a reflection on modern capitalism, but it's also about the fleeting nature of fame, and what it means to be a hero in a world that has largely forgotten you. It's depressing at points, funny at others, and yet still holds together as a story about superheroes where there's nothing more villainous to thwart than a corporate takeover and the real question is whether anyone can live up to their personal ideals.