STEALTH #1 review – Detroit Rock City (Costa, Bonvillain, Bellegarde, Cipriano, Howard, Image Comics)

Writer Mike Costa Artists Tamra Bonvillain and Nate Bellegarde Letterer Sal Cipriano Main Cover artist Jason Howard

Thanks to Image Comics for the review copy!

Some cities get a lot of attention in pop culture – New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Columbus (ok, kidding about the last one). But when Detroit comes to mind, the first movie I can think of is … Robocop. And as was the case in Robocop, the city and its troubles are a character in the new series from Image Comics, Stealth.

Stealth tells the story of Tony, a struggling reporter in Detroit who is dealing with a father showing early signs of mental confusion. We also meet Stealth, Detroit’s resident superhero crimefighter. Stealth is a sleek robot suit with wings reminiscent of the 1980s cartoon SilverHawks (and yes, I am seriously dating myself here with that reference). Stealth is also fairly brutal for a superhero, skewing towards the vigilante side of the spectrum.  Stealth is definitely not afraid to mete out some brutal justice. There is some bloody violence, so parents may want to read the book to decide if it is suitable for their children. Personally, I think the issues this book is tackling are more interesting for older readers.

The art style and character design reminds me of Kick-Ass. The action is clear and I liked how the book conveys movement. We are given some glimpses of Stealth’s power set, and I’m curious to learn more about the suit’s capabilities. With that said, the suit is perhaps less important than the characters. The premiere issue effectively switches back and forth between Tony and his father and Stealth, and the small chunks give the book a good rhythm. The issue ends on a surprising cliffhanger that makes me interested in where this series is going. Stealth is definitely worth a look for readers looking for something new to try.

STEALTH #1 is now available.

Check back soon for my thoughts on STEALTH #2.

Have you read the title? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter.