Retro Review

What would you do if you lived in a world full of super-humans, and your child was one of them? How would you cope with a super-strong toddler? Or a five-year old who could control minds? How could you keep your kid from flying into air traffic? Is there any solution when your child can dismantle the TV to make a time machine? Well, if you lived in the world Aaron Williams created for PS238, you could send your metaprodigy to a top secret elementary school, where the trained staff are themselves super-humans dedicated to teaching and training the next generation.

Aaron Williams’ brilliant PS238 has been around for 6 years, but it may be one of comics’ best kept secrets. It obviously has enough of a following to keep it in publication, but I’ve never seen it on a comic book store shelf, I rarely find it in back-issue bins, and I only know two other people who’d read it before me. I wouldn’t even know it existed if I hadn’t found a half-dozen back issues in a gaming store in Dusseldorf, Germany. It was a very lucky find for me, as it’s become one of my favorite books: I always was a sucker for light, humorous books. It has a large and rich cast of characters, a great story-telling engine, and an art style all its own. The plot has become quite dense in recent issues, so if you’re interested in sampling the book, it’s best to go back to the beginning, either by tracking down the first 6 hard-to-find issues, or the trade paperback that reprints them, or by reading the online version here.

The concept is not an original one: the idea of a school for super-powered teenagers had been done before, for example in the Harry Potter books, and Marvel’s New Mutants; and younger children with incredible powers had been seen before in Marvel’s Power Pack, DC’s occasional Super-baby story, and in numerous Saturday morning cartoons. In PS238, some of the children’s parents are analogs of familiar Marvel and DC characters, but this is a common practice in modern comics: Astro City, Powers, Supreme and The Authority have all used analogs either as protagonists or villains. Originality of the basic concept of a book is never the most important thing: it is important how well that concept is realized and how interesting the stories are on their own, and on that score, PS238 excels.

(a selection of PS238 covers, art and characters copyright Aaron Williams)

Aaron Williams’ stories range from the expected elementary schoolyard fare, like fitting in and dealing with bullies, through loving homages to Marvel and DC characters, to more mature themes like death and parental abdication of responsibility. He creates good, if a little predictable plots in the first six issues, with humor very much in the foreground; later in the series, he finds his feet and gives us meatier stories that still have humor, but are not driven by it. Where he shines is in his scripts. He has a great ear for dialog, especially with the children, and all the characters have unique voices that quickly establish their natures.

The flaw in these early issues is the art. Williams was still finding his style, and while the overall look is perfect for the concept, the perspective and pacing is that of a comic strip, so the action sequences look flat. He seems uncomfortable drawing the action too, adding unnecessary captions that tell us what is happening, instead of just showing us. If it was purely a humor comic, it wouldn’t matter, but PS238 wants to be a super-hero comic, and thus this weakness is quite jarring.

The first six issues are all self-contained. #0, released 4 months before #1, sets up the premise, introducing some of the pupils and teachers in a series of 2- to 3-page strips framed as advertisements or a FAQ for the school, and a 5-page strip establishing some of the political reality of the school. #0 is not essential if you’re picking the book up as back issues: the pages are all online, and #1 has enough recap of the set-up that you won’t be confused. #1-3 each feature a different child, and #4 and 5 are the first stories with the cast assembled and the main protagonist clear, and the first ongoing sub-plots established. If you only want to sample a couple of issues, go for #3, which introduces Tyler Marlocke, who becomes the focus of many later storylines, and #5, which has a great moment that shows what the book is going to be capable of later.

Sub-plots and back story are a major part of PS238, as Aaron Williams establishes an entire world around the school. Some of the teachers have secrets in their past, and there are hints of political issues that could threaten the school and a metahuman project that went wrong long ago. There is also a recurring character who’s noticed there’s something strange going on, and is determined to get to the bottom of it. In these terms, the individual issues are much better than reading the comic online or collected, as every issue except #0 contains text pieces that enhance the experience of Williams’ world.

PS238, formerly from Dork Storm/Henchman Publishing, now from Do-Gooder Press (#20 on). For the first 6 issues, A for dialog and characterization, B for the plots, B- for art, and A for charm, giving it a B+ overall. A joy to read: go hunt it down if you’ve ever enjoyed an escapist funny book.

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