The Hood (Marvel Max)

The Hood Volume 1: Blood From Stones TPB

Brian K. Vaughan

The Hood is Marvel Max mini-series about a low level criminal who happens to find objects that give him some powers. What he does with them is first stupid and then smart.

This mini is written by Brian K. Vaugh, who does a very good job at depicting a man who is not really evil. He cares about his pregnant wife, but he needs another woman. He wants to do good, but doesn't succeed. And he comes from a criminal family, which includes his cousin John. The star of this book says he wants to do good, but he never backs his words with action.

The dialog is very modern and contains many pop references. There's plenty of humor as well, and some laugh out loud moments. But for the most part this is a thriller/drama.

For the first 5 issues we see the Hood make some big mistakes and stupid decisions, but all of a sudden he becomes a witty/smart man without fear in the last issue. That was slightly out of character to me, servicing a clever plot resolution.

The art is very dark and moody, by Kyle Hotz. Perfectly suited for this story. It's dark not only during the action scenes happening during the night, but it also reflects the drama of the more personal scenes.

There are some plot points that were left dangling, probably inthe hope of a sequel or even ongoing series. Unfortunately this mini has been largely ignored, which is a shame. It is a fresh take on the superhero concept.