Massively Effective #1 – Review

Written by Marco Lopez and Bryan Ginn, Art by Michael Mayne, Colors by Walt Barna

The Story: Meet Mass and Effect, the two most inefficient superheroes of all time. So ineffective that a tribunal of godly creatures forbids them from ever being superheroes again. While Mass accepts his Fate, Effect…not so much.

The Good: The incredible amount of fun that I have not seen in a comic since Skullkickers. Lopez and Ginn have a myriad of great characters that keep bringing more fun to this comic, from the giant Lizard playing guitar to PHD and his sidekick. There is no shortage of a good time here. Of course, the main attraction is the two heroes—one, Effect, who is desperately trying to hold onto the nostalgia of his youth, and Mass who is almost the complete opposite—ready to grow up and leave childish things behind, but with just enough reluctance that Effect has some sway over him. The best thing about their bromance is that they’re both wrong, but they’re of course oblivious to that. Yet, like George and Jerry from Seinfeld, together they make one functional man.  Or in this case, one functional superhero. Only, since they can’t yet acknowledge each other’s strengths, they kind of just get into a lot of trouble. This leads to PhD, the embodiment of every mad scientist ever known.  He is a perfect foil to both heroes. For Effect, he’s too serious and contemplative. For Mass, he’s too crazy and out there.  But he’s never both of these at the same time. He has bat-shit crazy plans that he carefully, painstakingly constructs.  Neither Mass nor Effect know how to properly handle him and that makes some great conflict—I really want to see where it ends up going. And then there’s the art and colors—the art in this comic plays up the nostalgia end, sometimes even looking like a Saturday morning cartoon. In a way, the art is almost a commentary on itself—comics are supposed to have a bit of nostalgia to them, harkening back to simpler times. At least for those who have actually read comics as a child (as in, not me).  But what the art does for the various themes is give them a subtlety. Yes, this is very fun and cool and we get to see awesome battles against Mario Land rejects, but there is a deeper meaning to it, an understanding of holding onto innocence that only this style of artwork can provide.  While you are on the site, go and check out the preview for Rock, Paper, Scissors—great stuff—the art for that would be awful for Massively Effective not because it is bad art, but because it plays up the serious nature, while Massively Effective is about hiding from it. Plus, it’s just damn cool art.