Static #1-4

Static #1-4

Originally released in 1993

Written by Dwayne McDuffie and Robert L. Washington III

Art by John Paul Leon

Dwayne McDuffie is another creator that I'd heard a lot about but, aside from his work on the DC Animated Universe, I wasn't familiar with. (Though I realize that this likely applies to a lot of DC creators) He was one of the minds behind Milestone Comics, an imprint made by creators who felt that minorities were underrepresented in superhero comics. Out of this imprint, the only character that I was familiar with was Static (and even then, my awareness mainly comes from the DC Animated Universe, where he had his own show and made a cameo in the Justice League series), so I used his first appearance as a jumping-on point.

It feels like they were trying to give this world its own version of Spider-Man here.  Static, whose real name is Virgil Hawkins, is a wise-cracking high school student who combines his powers with applications from science lessons to great effect.  The main difference seems to be his family situation; whereas Peter Parker was raised by his aunt and uncle, Static's parents are alive, though his dad seems to constantly be working. (He's mentioned in this first three issues, but not seen, so I'm not sure if that's meant to be building up to a plot twist) He also has a sister that he bickers with.

Static's superheroics take a toll on his personal life, in the tradition of heroes like Spider-Man - he's fired from his after-school job for leaving work early to save the day, he pretends to have asthma to justify falling behind and switching into his costume, and his crush on his classmate doesn't go anywhere (at least in these issues; maybe it changes later) because she thinks they're better off as friends.  It's not all bad (he has a few close friends who stick with him through thick and thin, even if only one of them knows about his double life), but it's another detail that is reminiscent of a certain webbed wall-crawler.

Static's costume changes a bit after issue one, with him getting a yellow coat that significantly improves it in my opinion, with the contrast in colours between his black suit and the bright coat helping him to stand out.  Static faces a few villains in these issues - a racist bully of Virgil's who became a fire-themed villain that goes by Hotstreak, and a shapeshifter who borrows heavily from Terminator 2 called Tarmack. They're fairly straightforward characters, though once Static figures out their powers, it's entertaining to see how he uses science and electromagnetism to make fools of them.

Issue 3 ends with the arrival of Holocaust, a villain who seemingly has ties to the broader Milestone line. (Virgil already knows who he is, at any rate) Virgil is briefly tempted by Holocaust's claims that people with powers like theirs should have wealth and respect, but when Holocaust goes too far in pursuit of that, Virgil turns against him. (Honestly, the name alone should have been a giveaway)

Static is a good introduction to the Milestone side of DC; it can wear its inspiration on its sleeve at times, but Virgil's personal drama is engaging, and the story takes some unexpected twists and turns.