Top of the Pile - 5/8/2013

Uber #1

Written by Kieron Gillen

Illustrated by Caanan White

Avatar Press

Super Nazis? What's not to like? I guess that’s what the main idea of this new book by Kieron Gillen is in a nutshell. I picked up issue #0 last month and liked the idea. So when #1 was on the shelf, I added it to my stack.

Uber is an alternate history where Nazi scientists were able to come up with a super soldier. In issue 0, it starts at the brink of the end of the war, with the Soviets entering Berlin, the great German war machine is on it’s last gasp. Until three super Nazi soldiers enter the battle and obliterate the invading forces. Issue 1 opens with a full page image of Hitler with a gun in his mouth. From there, history takes it’s left turn and he doesn’t commit suicide in his underground bunker. Instead, once he realizeses the power of his new solders, he orders his “Seigfried” to deal with the Soviet POWs by "giving them opera". What follows is a massacre. Meanwhile, we also find that there is a deep cover spy working her way out of Germany with all the plans. The Allies only hope seems to be her successful return to England.

The art by Caanan White is pretty cool. Not quite as gory as other Avatar Press books, but that doesn’t mean he won’t show limbs flying and melted flesh. Some of his caricature work is a little rough. His Hitler is really only identifiable by his moustache. And Churchill isn’t a great representation. But taken in context, it’s not too difficult to figure them out.

Though this is a pretty cool book, and I’ll continue picking it up, I would be wary to add it to a library collection. Though violence is more accepted than sex, with pretty much any Avatar Press book, I would be sure it would be something I could justify to over-anxious parents who might be offended. And unfortunately, other than my personal opinion, there really isn’t too much out there in the non-comic press to help argue a challenge.