Hexbreaker (Superhero)

By Mike Baron & Bill Reinhold

Publisher: First Comics (January 1, 1988)

Softcover, 59 pages

          This is a graphic novel from the second golden age of comics, the 1980s. The protagonist here is Badger, a psychotic superhero, who could kick ass and speak to animals, and a Vietnam war veteran suffering from multiple personality disorder. Most of the Badger adventures were a bizarre, almost surreal, collection of events, not meant to be taken seriously, especially as the main character had difficulty making much sense to those around him.

This story isn’t much different. Badger is summoned to communist China to compete in a mystical fighting tournament, held once every hundred years. The winner of which will be granted whatever he wishes. Blah, blah, blah. Punch, punch, punch. Badger wins and brings his newly-found lover back to life. The End

It's not the greatest story ever told, but I didn’t expect much else. Badger comics always left me feeling flat. They tried too hard to be weird and funny, without actually being funny. What I mean is, I always felt that I should find the material amusing without actually doing so. C’est la vie.

The character was created by Mike Baron who is also noted for creating one of my favorite characters, Nexus, and helming the first forty issues of Marvel’s 1st Punisher series, along with Punisher War Journal.

Hexbreaker was published by First Comics, probably one of the best of the independent comic publishers that sprung up after the direct marketing boom. Unlike a lot of the indies First put out some of the best material in the market (if not the most lucrative). Their line-up consists of such stellar titles, as Jon Sable, Grimjack, Nexus, Dreadstar, and American Flagg. If anyone of those titles are a mystery to you, I recommend giving them a look. Anyone is better than Badger.

           For more readings, try books by Rex Hurst.