WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Shatterstar #1 by Tim Seeley, Gerardo Sandoval and Carlos Villa, on sale now!


Sometimes a comic book character needs to find a new voice to feel relevant again, even if the character is deeply beloved by fans. Doing so can be a slippery slope. The balance required to maintain what made the character appealing in the first place while also making them seem fresh is a tricky one. Straying too far from what the hero means to their fanbase can feel like an act of betrayal, but keep them running in the same story loops for too long and things get stagnant.

One way comic book characters find new life is when they are simply dropped into a situation they have never been in. Yes, that sounds like the most obvious thing to do, but it’s strange how often creators don’t push familiar heroes and villains outside their comfort zones. When executed well, these iconic figures find themselves in a comic series that operates in a genre that isn’t often associated with them, yet somehow functions brilliantly.

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When Jason Aaron kicked off the series Wolverine and the X-Men, the hardened, warrior mutant went from being the premier badass of Marvel Comics to the headmaster of the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, where, instead of dealing with throngs of ninja assassins, he was forced to teach class and wrangle teenage mutants. The series played like a cross between the television shows Community and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, utilizing A and B plotlines that would eventually clash in a classic sitcom fashion, making the series hilarious and consistently engaging.

Other characters have found similar success in doing the same thing: Animal Man took a brilliant, hard left into body horror territory when DC’s New 52 initiative launched, while Rogue & Gambit (and the subsequent ongoing series Mr. & Mrs. X) took everyone’s favorite star-crossed X-Men and had them work through their long, storied relationship history in what could best be described as a romantic comedy. Both of these examples seem obvious in hindsight.

The new genres through which their stories were told helped to further develop the characters and their ever-expanding worlds. Unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said for all these narrative experiments. When a shift in genre doesn’t work, it’s not always because the initial setup is presented poorly. Sometimes there is a lack of perceived follow through. The new miniseries starring the interdimensional, genetically-engineered gladiator Shatterstar sets up an interesting premise, but changes gears in its first issue.

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Let's get something off the table right now: Shatterstar #1 by Tim Seeley, Gerardo Sandoval and Carlos Villa is quite good. It's a well-plotted, fun comic filled with clever ideas and a compelling cliffhanger that has up chomping at the bit for the next issue. The issue follows our titular hero as he acts as the landlord for Manor Crossing, an apartment building in Queens that is also a refuge for beings from different dimensions and timelines.

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The building is filled with an array of bizarre characters, all of whom have a unique kind of relationship with Shatterstar. The character dynamics the creative team introduces in the first half of the issue are strong and humorous. Karl Snortenthau (or Pug-Master), a talking pug who is a reformed supervillain from Earth-8311, has a hilarious exchange with Shatterstar in the first few pages and is a standout.

Plenty of the other Manor Crossing tenants display unique characteristics we wish the comic would expand upon. And here in lies the problem: The issue quickly moves away from what could have been ripe pickings for a fun comic book sitcom with the last character you'd expect and becomes something else completely.

As the issue progresses, we get to see some of Shatterstar's internal struggle. He reflects on his days as a gladiator in Mojoworld, which is unavoidable for the character since it is so deeply part of him. He later expresses his forlorn feelings for his former X-Force teammate and lover, Rictor (just get back together, already, guys). Again, this is all intrinsic to the character, so not touching on the history between these two would seem strange.

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Where things diverge is in the last few pages, when Manor Crossing is attacked by a threat from Shatterstar's past. While this is certainly one hell of a way to end an issue (look, we're gonna keep reading it), it sort of betrays everything that came before it. We are all for a story about a retired gunslinger strapping on the sixshooter for a one last showdown, but it stands in stark contrast to the tone set early on.

Shatterstar could have been Marvel's next great sitcom comic, given it's premise. But, c'est la vie. Luckily, it's never too late. The upcoming issue may just bring us (and Ben Gaveedra) home.