Common Grounds is a lost treasure of the Modern Age
of Comics. (That’s not hyperbole. I literally lost my copies of the
original six-issue mini-series somewhere along the line and only
recently rediscovered the series after chancing upon the trade paperback
collection in a used book store.)
There is no over-riding plot or main character in
Common Grounds. Instead, writer Troy Hickman
presents a series of thirteen vignettes built around the titular chain
of coffee shops. Founded by a retired superhero named Big Money, the
goal of the chain was to give costumed crime-fighters a place to relax
in their masked personas while they were off duty. In an effort to
foster understanding and peace, costumed criminals are also welcomed
provided they leave their grudges at the door.
These interludes run the gamut from low comedy to high drama,
occasionally playing with both comedic and dramatic elements at the same
time. The opening story, “Beyond the Speed of Life,” sets this balanced
tone perfectly. It tells the story of a reporter interviewing his
favorite superhero, The Speeding Bullet, at a nearby Common Grounds
location. The Speeding Bullet is a speedster who is widely beloved by
the public and acknowledged as one of the greatest heroes in the world.
He is also, to the surprise of the reporter, largely unsatisfied with
his life outside of heroism. While he loves helping people and is
thankful for the opportunities his powers give him, “SB” does express
his wish for the ability to slow down on occasion and his desire to live
a normal life.
It would be easy to play the problems of a man with super-speed off
for laughs or for Speeding Bullet to come off as a bit of a whiner, but
Hickman seriously examines how super-speed with the heightened
perceptions to match your reflexes would make everyday life a bit more
difficult. For instance, being able to eat whatever you want due to a
heightened metabolism that burns off excess calories in minutes sounds
great in theory, but the fact of the matter is you have to spend more
time in the bathroom than a normal person. Why? Well, there are some
things you can’t do at super speed. Such is Hickman’s gift as a writer
that he can play up the comedy such situations while simultaneously
exploring the dramatic elements of the superhero genre.
The book’s cast features a host of other such memorable characters,
but my favorite is probably Moshe Chomsky. Moshe is a devout Hasidic
Rabbi who somehow developed the power to melt anything he touches. Moshe
is an honestly good person who prays for guidance and struggles to find
constructive uses for a destructive ability, all while trying to
tolerate “the smart-alecks in the media” who dubbed him “The Acidic
Jew,” with good humor. There’s no small amount of irony that such a
potentially deadly power should wind up in the hands of someone so
ill-disposed toward violence and hurting people and it is fun to watch
Hickman play off the clichés of comics (which demand that anyone with
fire powers have a temper or anyone with cold powers be emotionally
distant) in this way.
This is one of the best-looking comics series I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, featuring an all-star roster of artists. Dan Jurgens does the lion’s share of the work, having drawn six of the thirteen vignettes but there’s not a single scrub in the line-up. Michael Avon Oeming. Ethan Van Sciver. Chris Bachalo. Carlos Pacheco. Angel Medina. Sam Kieth. The legendary George Perez. You’d be hard pressed to get one artist of this caliber for a mini-series, let alone all of these fine artists!
Common Grounds is a must read for any fan of the
superhero genre, as well as those who typically dismiss superhero
stories as childish fantasies. There are some truly complex stories
here, with none of the gore or overt sexuality one usually expects in a
Top Cow graphic novel.
Indeed, apart from some frank discussions about superhero sexuality ala
the Man of Steel/Woman of Kleenex debate, there’s no material in this
collection I would consider objectionable for a teenage audience.
Common Grounds
by Troy Hickman
Art by Dan Jurgens, Michael Avon Oeming, Ethan Van Sciver, Chris Bachalo, Carlos Pacheco, Angel Medina, Sam Kieth and George Perez
ISBN: 9781582408415
Top Cow Productions, 2007
Publisher Age Rating: (13+)
