I was a little wary of this comic at first. On the one hand, I’m a massive fan of Dr. Horrible. (I even wrote a geeky love letter to him last year.) On the other hand, a comic where Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer are suddenly best friends sounded like it could easily fall into the realm of weird and gimmicky.
What ultimately convinced me to review the comic was that I saw it was, in fact, written by Joss Whedon. So, even if it did turn out to be weird and gimmicky, at least it would be entertaining. Indeed, I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. It’s silly and fun, and at its core, it had that same spark that made the original web series so compelling.
Released in honor of the 10th anniversary of the original Dr. Horrible web series, the title tells you basically everything you need to know. Somehow, Dr. Horrible and his sworn nemesis, Captain Hammer (corporate tool), have become inseparable besties. They’re still on opposite sides of the law. They still have opposing personalities. They still fought an epic battle ten years ago that ended in the death of the woman they both loved (or that one loved and the other dated). Yet somehow, they’re laughing and joking together as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Their opposing sides are actually a perfect combination for this particular adventure, though, as they are called upon to team up to rescue a supervillain in peril. Hourglass, the time-traveling villain briefly alluded to in the web series, has accidentally released some dangerous time worms into our plane of existence, and they must be thwarted. As the hero and villain both run through their particular skillsets, we begin to get an idea of just how this unlikely friendship formed in the first place.
In true Joss Whedon fashion, the comic is filled with snappy dialogue, smart humor, and some obscure references. It’s a blast to read. My only problem with it is that it’s apparently just a one-shot. I was really hoping for a four-issue arc, at the very least, but everything is very neatly wrapped up within 30 pages, with no real room for a sequel, at least not with this particular premise. Still, this one issue is great fun. If you’re a fan of Dr. Horrible, you’ll definitely want to check it out.
Creative Team: Joss Whedon (script), Jose Maria Beroy (art), Sara Soler (art), Dan Jackson (colors), Nate Peikos (lettering), Fabio Moon (cover art), and Francesco Francavilla (variant cover art)
Publisher: Dark Horse
Click here to purchase.
