Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Well, ‘The Adequates’ more than adequately and entertainingly sets the tone for its story: a bunch of timid students who are usually bullied at school, somehow gain half-baked superpowers and thus become superheroes. Sort of. At least that’s the pitch for the comic series in its blurb, because the kids don’t gain any powers in issue #1! But the climactic page indicates their lives are about to change.
Created by Lee Loughridge and Marz Jr, the artwork for ‘The Adequates’ is fun, and engagingly colorful. The character designs are exaggeratedly comical, but also a bit of a fresh break from the typical comic-book illustrations of young students. The characters with their disproportionately large heads reminded me a little of the kids from the American cartoon show ‘Rugrats’, although the depictions aren’t as cartoon-ish.
Set in Savannah High School, ‘The Adequates’ is narrated by a freshman named Grey, who struggles with a stutter and is in the middle of a presentation about a legendary monster said to have emerged in his hometown. He quickly takes readers through the school’s hierarchy, where aggressive, overachieving nerds, known as ‘the Elite’, sit at the top of the food chain, pushing the sporty jocks down to number two.
We then meet Grey’s crew, who are likely the titular ‘The Adequates’: there’s chubby-cute Chad, who’s scared of heights; the near-blind Randy, who has a crush on one of his friends; Julie, a former New Yorker with severe allergies; redhead Pam, probably the trendiest and most assertive of the group; and finally Tweak, the latest victim of the Elite gang.
Tweak believes there’s strength in numbers, unfortunately, his squad fails to have his back when he’s attacked. So early on, the creators comically establish the slightly cowardly nature of the protagonists. Will that really change if the group miraculously acquires some sort of super powers?
Well, issue #1 culminates with Grey’s crew heading out on a school trip, where an unnatural catastrophe strikes, leaving the kids stuck in a situation that might just change their lives.
Going to see how things shape in the second issue, but this seems quite promising for now.
The Adequates is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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