Valiant; $2.25  

The H.A.R.D. Corps team is a group of mostly former soldiers who are now operating as a strike team backed by the Omen Enterprises corporation. They were all gravely injured in their past and given neural implants that provides them with temporary powers like flight, the ability to generate a protective shield, or shoot blasts of energy.  

In this issue, the H.A.R.D. Corps’ mission is to protect a man who defected from the Webnet cartel and is on the run from Dr. Silk and his goons. Their plan is to sneak him through a Disney World-like theme park dressed as one of the park’s animal mascots to a secure location with the H.A.R.D. Corps acting as his escorts. 

H.A.R.D. Corps is an early ‘90s action heavy book with a group of likeable, tough characters and macho guy jokes. Reading it now is like a nostalgic trip back to 1980s action movies. This issue gives the team the chance to shine as Webnet catches up to them and they must be quite crafty in their mission to protect their guy.  

It looks like it should be silly, starting with the cover that shows a human-sized mouse, a theme park castle, and a gun fight. But, the silliness of the costume is used to break up the tension rather than the focal point that would make the book absurd. There are also moments that show the complexity of these characters, particularly Hammerhead.  

It’s a really good standalone issue by David Michelinie, and the art team fills each panel with lots of lush detail. 

–Amanda Sheriff