Static Shock #2

SPOILERS AHEAD

What Happened Previously: Having moved to New York Static learns that being a hero in the big apple doesn't mean people are grateful for your efforts. Having a job at S.T.A.R.S. Lab he was able to follow a pilot who was murdered right before his eyes. Mainframe, a mentor of sorts, is helping Static by equipping him with what he needs. The bad guys do a backround check on Static and figure they need to take him out of the picture. During an attack it appears that Statics' arm is blown off.

Story Title: "Disarmed"

Thoughts: Static seems to unintentionally be causing a lot of trouble. Last issue he accidently caused damage during a fight that royally ticked off the public. Here he causes a blackout when he's attacked. These incidents aren't really his fault but I can see it becoming a problem. Two of the places that were powered down WERE life and death matters. One being a hospital during surgery and the other seems to have connections to nuclear power judging by the warning symbol. I was confused by Virules' third person speech. Granted it can be amusing when the villain does it (Doctor Doom always makes it work) but with a character you don't know? It leaves you scratching your head.

The attempt on Statics' life doesn't work because none of them truly knows what he is capable of. I like that detail being added just like deduction that since Static is a minor he likely lives around the area he patrols. And that since they know he was from Dakota they should see who recently moved from there. Bad guys using their brains? Shocking I know. (See what I did there?) Static is amazed that the damage to his arm isn't worse and starts to wonder what else he can do. I do wish they'd go back to thought bubbles because Static seems to talk aloud--with no one else around--a lot.

What is it with superheroes being too proud or in this case too worried of how others will react to ask for help? He clearly is out of his league in terms of his injury but he doesn't want to bother Mainframe who already did so much for him. It seems rather random to have the Joker appear who seems rather out of character to me. I also have NO IDEA what is going on with Virgil having not just two sisters but TWO SHARONS. They shared the same dream and according to Virgil no one knows who is the real one. That's really too confusing for the start of a series.

Granted it's more tasteful than most comic art but his hormones led him to checking out the girls' rears and one of their chest. Teenage boys *sigh* Well at least he was being checked out too (although we don't see any shots of his body.) Anyway the whole thing ends not with him being outed as a superhero but with Static being led into a trap.

Say What?: One of the bad guys claims heroes are hard to kill apparently even teenage ones. Seems she never heard of the Teen Titans or most of their death count is gone. I'm going to go with the latter and how this means Kid Devil is back.

Not only does Mainframes' tech look over Static to list his injuries it also asks if he needs a doctors' note to be printed out so he doesn't have to do physical things at school and work. 

Frieda, his friend/sorta love interest is mentioned. It's stated that she's the only one who's close to him that knows he's a superhero. She still lives in Dakota.

The school Virgil goes to is named The Dwayne G. Mcduffie Center for Science and Mathematics. 

After Static quotes Scarface a wriers' note box says : "Recognizable, but not very good Al Pacino as Tony Montana Impersonation."

Verdict: The techobabble does tend to bore me and I can't imagine younger readers being drawn in by it either. There are a lot of good moments and Static is very likable (yes even despite leering at girls for a moment, I blame his hormones.) He has an idea what he's doing in terms of getting information and fighting. But there are a lot of things that don't work. Most notably the two Sharons and the fact neither wants to give up their name for the other. I might not stick around after this arc.