Dial H for Hero #2: I Think I’m Turning Japanese, I Really Think So

Dial H for Hero is a coming-of-age tale wrapped in a Hero’s Journey. We see Miguel battle through his fears of failure, his fears of the world outside of the pocket he has carved out for himself, his fears of a life where he is in control. Autonomy can certainly be a scary concept when you have had your entire life defined by others. The journey towards heroism for Miguel is accelerated in this series giving the title a near break-neck pacing that somehow doesn’t actually feel rushed but rather fits the tone of the book.

Of course, the true strength of this series lies in the versatility of artists Joe Quinones. The hallmark of any Dial H book is the introduction of the various zany heroes the Dial produces but rarely is there an artist on hand who can shift style to match the characters. Last issue captured the over-the-top renderings of the 1990s mainstream superhero while this issue leans heavily on multiple types of manga influences.

The perfect storm of art and story are equally met with the fantastic lettering efforts of Dave Sharpe. Sharpe is the sort of letterer that is difficult to not notice as he seems to have a font on hand for all circumstances and wields them with reckless abandon, often shifting to multiple fonts per page as needed.

There is something special in this creative team and while in no way does Dial H for Hero promise to change any sort of status quo for the DC Universe, it does manage to be an exceptionally fun romp through what it means to be a hero.