Wanted #1

Story time! When I got into comics after I got out of anime, Wanted was one of the first trade paperbacks I ever picked up. At the time, I thought it was delightfully playful yet vulgur and an example of how cool comics were compared to anime. Now, a few years later when I read actual comics and not limited series/glamour projects, I find this book absolutely awful. I'll give it the benfit of the doubt for having somewhat decent art and a few character designs that were cool looking. I have to wonder about Mark Millar. It seems that the majority of his projects are completely adolescent and utterly juvenile at times. Wanted is perhaps the worst offender. Pretty much, Wesley is set up at the start to be like the reader of this book.Then the sad pathetic wretch suddenly gets an astounding amount of power and a cool costume and membership with one of the most poorly conceived supervillain groups in comics. Seriously, animated piles of shit and super-strong retards? Its so completely schoolyard that I wonder why Millar didn't have catgirls with enormous tits.

Any and all problems that plague Wesley's life after entering the world of the Fraternity are always solved with a universal amount of graphic violence. It becomes so egregious that I can't help but refer to Grant Morrison saying this book was like a white middle-class geek's secret revenge fantasy. Now, I don't mind alternative forms of escapism mind you, but one where all of your average problems get solved with a 9mm handgun seems rather vicious. Perhaps I'm not getting this, perhaps Millar is parodying the growing vitriol and angst within the nerd community. Regardless, there is nothing insightful, nothing really unique, and nothing interesting about this story. If you want to read a comic about supervillains that are likable and fun, read either Suicide Squad or Secret Six, not this juvenile garbage.