I’ll tell you right off the bat – this was a difficult review to write. As unbiased as I try to be whenever going into a new piece of work (especially one I’m reviewing), I was truly hoping for “Boy Meets Hero” to be great. The most popular webcomics these days cater to an audience that is decidedly non-gay-friendly. Even if the strips and/or authors offer no ill will to the gay community, the “Halo Crowd,” as I’ve come to call them, seem threatened by anything outside their sphere of life and have no problem with spouting all sorts of nonsense across the internet and online gaming. What does this have to do with “Boy Meets Hero” you ask? Well, aside from being a webcomic, the strip seems to be an answer of sorts to the aforementioned group of webcomics. The story of the Blue Comet ("Derek" in his civilian life) and Justin (brother of Blue Comet’s partner, Sunstar) is another dip in the superhero pool that tries a quadruple somersault with a half-twist tuck to varying success.

The idea to write a story of a famous superhero hiding not only his civilian I.D., but also a same sex-relationship is a great one. It puts a new spin and added strain on the ages-old Superman/Clark Kent story. Aside from character angst, this double dual-identity (a "straight/superhero" identity and a "gay/civilian" identity) storyline adds quite a bit to the plot as well. For example, the villain’s entire reason for attacking our heroes is dependent on Blue Comet being in the closet at the start of the story, proving (again) that heroes can make the same mistakes the rest of us do. And Blue Comet's unexpected mistake (not the "being in the closet" mistake) as revealed in a flashback in issue #4 was a biggie - he created a villain, for crying out loud!

The problem is that on top of these great possibilities is a giant pile of exposition. For every action scene of the Blue Comet knocking out a giant sea serpent, or of Derek and Justin just spending time together, there are five scenes of him essentially talking to the camera about the importance and/or fear of coming out of the closet. But even then, there are read-worthy moments. There are two instances where the transitions fade to Justin and Derek falling into each other at home and later on a secluded beach. These two scenes exemplify one of the strengths of the book – the relationship between Justin and Derek. Aside from some goofy one-liners (though I have heard some couples say things like “I’m the lucky one here, J! Do you realize how irresistible and hot you are?” and “I’m so into you. I’ve been since the moment I saw you!”), their relationship does seem real. Granted, it may be an idealized relationship being two incredibly good-looking 20-somethings living in California, but at least it’s feasible and written realistically. However, since contradicting myself is a lot of fun, every time Justin and Derek have a natural conversation it will invariably turn to one of them questioning why Derek doesn’t come out of the closet. Obviously, coming out to the world at large (or just a select inner circle, for that matter) is a big deal for most people. It bears discussion and a place in fiction just like all other milestones in life. It does not belong on every third page of a superhero webcomic. Not that gay issues can’t be discussed in a medium such as this, but I don’t need the characters explaining what it means to come out. I think most people understand both the perils and the benefits to revealing their sexuality.

The strip is infused with a lot of small details that bring the background world to life. The World Hero Organization calls itself W.H.O. like many government agencies. Their ad campaign? “W.H.O. Cares.” Aside from a quick one-line joke, the only time you see this is on billboards in the backgrounds. The host of the superhero tabloid show, Access Hero World, is Carson Knightly, a non-too subtle jab at the famous-for-no-real-reason Carson Daly. These little jokes, non-verbal asides really, really do a lot to fill out the strip and give it an almost Astro City feel.

To say the art for the series is inconsistent would be an understatement. One panel could look like something your nephew drew in MS Paint and then the next could be the most polished, detailed panel you’ve see in a web comic since Apple Geeks. The artist states on the site’s front page that he didn’t have the time or talent when the strip started to really push the art to a professional level. He’s since gone back to punch up several scenes (such as this one detailing a sea monster attack, see the before and after panels) and as soon as he has time and/or inclination to polish the whole book there’s really very little I could say as a negative. The art appears simple, but the backgrounds are so full of life that the images really do jump off the screen.

When it comes down it, “Boy Meets Hero” is a great idea that’s been wounded in execution. It’s not dead yet, but we need a doctor in here stat. The creator announced on the site that a sequel is coming in 2008 starring Justin and Derek in their new roles seen at the end of the strip, and while I’ll certainly be stepping lightly, I do plan on following the adventures of these two. The possibilities are too great. Even if the writing doesn’t tighten itself up and get off its soapbox, the art has progressed wonderfully since the first panel and only seems to be getting better.

Editor's note: Check out Boy Meets Hero at the mothership web site or order the new hardcover edition here