Advertising has been a staple of the comic book industry for decades. From Batman and Superman teaming up to sell war bonds in the '40s to superheroes selling Hostess Fruit Pies in the '70s, plenty of brand-licensed comics have been used to advertise all manner of products and services. And now, this time-honored tradition has been joined by DC's new digital-first comic book, To The Max, which promotes its sibling company's newly launched HBO Max streaming service.
All three of the short issues focus on different characters who become HBO Max-themed superheroes after being given powers by a mysterious talisman given to them by a white dog aptly named Max. The three heroes we follow in the series are Hector, Brian and Olivia, whose collective initials spell HBO.
In Ivan Cohen, Scot Eaton, Wayne Faucher, Hi-Fi and Carlos M. Mangual's To the Max #1, Hector Santos is introduced as a junior high science teacher and former aspiring astronaut who is on his way home when he encounters Max, the dog. He grabs Max’s collar to check for owner information, but suddenly, Max disappears leaving behind what appears to be a remote control with the word “max” written across it.
This remote grants Hector an on-brand purple superhero suit and a series of traditional superpowers, which he then uses one-at-a-time to save an astronaut stranded on a self-destructing space station. By the end of the bite-sized issue, Hector makes it home to his family, and they settle into stream HBO Max, only to find the TV displaying a group shot of superhero Hector with an array of other purple-clad heroes, perhaps teasing the infinite potential of the “max” remote control.
In Cohen, Hendry Prasetya, Mark Morales, Hi-Fi, and Mangual's To the Max #2, readers are introduced to Brian Freeman, a young man who has just passed his diving instructor certification and is planning to start his international career. Like Hector, Brian encounters the conspicuous canine Max, and the dog seemingly vanishes leaving behind the “max” branded remote control, which teleports Brian from Greenwich Village to Singapore.
Once there, Brian leaps into action rescuing rich tourists from an onslaught of tidal waves. Beyond his ability to teleport, Brian also has super-speed -- both on land and in the water -- a universal translator, and an energy cannon. While the details are left unexplained, readers are given a brief glimpse of Brian’s heroic world travels by the end of the issue.
In Cohen, Laura Braga, Hi-Fi and Mangual's To The Max #3, we meet Olivia Berkman, a comedian who’s preparing to perform in Las Vegas when she suddenly meets Max, the prodigious pup. She takes him backstage where he once again disappears and leaves behind the aforementioned remote control.
Using the remote, Olivia changes into her very own purple suit and with the aid of her new super hearing abilities, eavesdrops on her audience. In the crowd, she notices two men planning to rob the very casino in which she’s performing, so she jumps into action utilizing the shapeshifting powers and martial arts skills that the remote grants her. By the end of this third and (as of now) final issue, readers are left with the promise that this is merely "the end... of the beginning."
Whether or not there will ever actually be a follow-up remains to be seen. This initial outing does indeed establish a repeatable storytelling device with endless potential similar to Marvel’s Captain Universe and the Uni-Power or DC’s very own H-Dial, which has been featured in the numerous Dial H For Hero series.
While these issues boast covers by Jim Lee, Amanda Conner and Jorge Jiménez, the series never really takes full advantage of HBO Max’s expansive catalog of offerings, only including a few HBO Max easter eggs sprinkled throughout like a nod to West Philadelphia from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and a café named Gunther’s, a clear homage to Central Perk from perennial-favorite Friends.
Instead of showing off the various shows and movies featured on the service, the stories strive for a more relatively serious tone that includes a message about achieving one’s “MAXimum potential.”