Earth needs a champion, and unfortunately for the earth, ours works at a video store and is pre-occupied with his constipation more than anything close to saving the world.
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It’s going to be a long day for Jeff Steinberg, but hey, at least he has some great theme music.
“If Today had theme music it would be the song from the original karate kid. Remember that. Karate Kid.”
Writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and Tony Fleecs bring us a protagonist that is beyond normal. He surrounds himself with a unique cast of characters that include his roommates Sienna and Jimmy, his best friend Rolo, and his girlfriend Shelly, all of which seem to bring a sense of chaos to Jeff’s otherwise mundane existence.
“This is not as exciting as I expected. And ten times as creepy.”
That supporting cast is hilarious, though, and so is the entirety of Jeff Steinberg: Champion of Earth #1. Pop culture references abound, as Sienna and Jimmy debate the quality of movies like The American President and Dave, and argue over how to pronounce Syfy. After issue #1, all I wanted was to see more of their constant back and forth.
The same goes for Rolo, who has some delightfully funny lines, and has the inexplicable ability to lose his pants at a moments notice. Not exactly Avengers material, but a talent nonetheless.
None of these characters work without Jeff, who is just grounded enough as an everyman without all the boring traits that typically come with a character of that ilk. He’s confident enough, but not so much so that you can’t relate. Fialkov and Fleecs succeed in creating a lead that you can root for and empathize with while still allowing the reader to laugh at his faults and missteps, of which there are many.
“It’s pronounced SYFY! And they’re finally making good shows like Battlestar again!”
While the writing earns its due, the art is even better. Fleecs and Colorist Luigi Anderson’s character work here is exceptional and upon first meeting each character you instantly feel like you completely understand them. Their work hits another level when more of the alien elements come into play, and I can’t wait to see what the team does on future issues.
Jeff Steinberg: Champion of Earth does grab the low hanging fruit sometimes, but it features such a fun and delightful cast of characters that you don’t really mind. In the midst of all this grittiness in film, TV, and comics, Jeff Steinberg is an at times absurd but always hilarious breath of fresh air.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Written By: Joshua Hale Fialkov & Tony Fleecs
Illustrated By: Tony Fleecs
Colored By: Luigi Anderson
Lettered By: Simon Bowland
