Image Comics Review: Stealth #1

Image Comics Review: Stealth #1

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Mike Costa

Artist:  Nate Bellegarde 

Letters:  Sal Cipriano

Colors:  Tamra Bonvillain 

Reviewed by: Carl Bryan

Summary

For decades, Stealth has waged war on crime in Detroit, but now he’s taken his pursuit of justice too far. Only reporter Tony Barber knows that behind Stealth’s reckless behavior is an older man battling Alzheimer’s—his father. A father unwilling to accept that he’s no longer the hero this city needs…with enemies all too eager to force his retirement. Created by ROBERT KIRKMAN and MARC SILVESTRI, STEALTH is an action-packed series, perfect for readers who enjoy Black Panther and Iron Man.

Positives

Where to start?  Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri created Stealth and it is about to become a motion picture as Kirkman ( The Walking Dead) is in the development stage on that front.  Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby will write the script for the forthcoming Stealth adaptation. The writing duo’s credits include Iron Man and Cowboys & Aliens. Oscar-nominated Lee Daniels will direct and produce along with his partner Pam Williams. The film will be produced by Skybound’s film team—including Kirkman, David Alpert, Bryan Furst, and Sean Furst—and Universal Executive Vice President of Production Matt Reilly will oversee the project on behalf of the studio.

But how cool is it that the character is in its infancy as Image just released the comic.

Writer Mike Costa provides a tale of Stealth, a vigilante who is akin to a Iron Man/Falcon type character in Detroit.  It will be difficult to paint a further picture as Costa provides a back and forth and in-between relationship between Stealth and Tony Barger and his father. 

Costa gives us a twist in that he leads the reader to think that Tony is actually Stealth, but….not so fast!

Tony Barber knows that behind Stealth’s reckless behavior is an older man battling Alzheimer’s—his father. A father unwilling to accept that he’s no longer the hero this city needs… with enemies all too eager to force his retirement.

Kudos to Costa for leading me down this road as thinking Tony was Stealth as the cuts, the back and forth and the pace of the story led us right down that rabbit hole!

Positives 2.0

Detroit is the background and I love the fact that Tony is a reporter.  Again, Costa provides a few intro pages where you don’t know where this is headed as it is so negative.  But then you realize Tony is working on a story.  And the acknowledgement of economic conditions in that city as well as the newspaper business…great work by Costa in providing some realism to a real world city and not a fictional world.

I also applaud that if you are a fan of Black Panther, Black Lightning, Spawn or the Falcon, you have another hero to rally behind.  Diversity was so needed in the comic world, and Stealth helps that in leaps and bounds!

Negatives

None yet in that this is some ground breaking stuff in that a movie is coming along soon after the release of a comic.  It’s a new world when you can see your comics come to life almost immediately upon being released!

Verdict

I’d add this first issue to my shelf.  An Alzheimer-affliction vigilante…a sympathetic son… and a rogues gallery that has been waiting for a moment to eliminate their enemy.  It sounds awesome!