What does it mean to carry on the legacy of past heroes and become something better? Sparrow, a hot new superhero comic created by Kara Huset, aims to explore the world of heroes and what it takes for the protagonist Alaina to come into her own as a hero in the shadow of those that came before.
Sparrow opens to a flashback set ten years before the events of the main story. We meet the hero Red Falcon, who races through his team’s headquarters to save his daughters from death. It is here that a stunning revelation is made: Red Falcon’s daughter has superhuman abilities!
Back in the present day, we are reintroduced to Alaina as a teenager, along with her sister Hannah and aged father, James. As the story progresses, we get classic tropes of teenage love before jumping into a dangerous scenario with a vicious gang as she not only saves her own sister’s life but gives a swift beat down to some of the criminals themselves. This act helped to define Alaina’s heroism going forward, which includes further exposition regarding the heroes of the past and how it relates to her to make the necessary decisions at hand. The story ends on two notes, which set up the next issue as we see Alaina coming into her own as a hero, and a mysterious yet deadly masked antagonist revealed to us. Not only that but there was a great short featuring the Red Falcon and his spouse, The Sentinel, in the back is worth reading for even more backstory.
Reading through this issue, the art managed to really set the tone for the story as you progress, leaving you desiring for more with such stunning visuals that propel this fantastic narrative as you make it to the end of the comic. The placement of the letters didn’t overshadow the artwork, which can often be a problem in comics whether it’s an indie production such as this or not. I would say my favorite part of the book had to be the crimson masked villain at the end. Seeing them straight up murdering someone just gave me chills and made for a great story set up leaning into the next issue. I mean, just look at it!
Overall, if you’re new to comics and want a great book to read, or if you’re someone heavily into comics and want something new to dig into, then go and pick up a digital copy of Sparrow today. In time, I believe that Sparrow will become a hit, and it’s one that you do not want to sleep on.