TIGHTS #1 – Review

TIGHTS #1, available on Kickstarter in December 2021, begins the journey of Judge Oliver Andrews, an honest judge with one too many enemies who receives a new call to serve.

The Details

• Written By: Chris Waigand
• Art By: Edison Neo
• Colors By: Edison Neo
• Letters By: Reed Hinckley-Barnes
• Cover Art By: Edison Neo
• Cover Price: $5 (digital edition)
• Release Date: December 2021 (estimated)

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Was It Good?

TIGHTS #1 takes its time introducing readers to the origins of the world’s latest superhero. And, that’s a good thing. The latest indie offering from creator Chris Waigand takes on the admirable job of laying the foundation for the main character as a dedicated, albeit slightly bumbling, judge who’s forced into the world of vigilante superheroes.

Waigand takes pains to build out grounded characters and settings that look like any town you might imagine, except the world has gone slightly crazy. Rather than take a BIG leap forward in imaging what current reality is like, Waigand takes a mere few steps forward to craft a world where masks and pandemics have driven folks a little cuckoo. Criminals have gone to excessive extremes and citizens have donned masks (in more ways than one) to combat the threat, often with unintentionally deadly consequences.

This issue is closer to the world outside your window than anything Marvel has ever produced. It’s so close, some readers may feel a little uncomfortable with how close to the edge this fictional world mimics our own. To be clear, this comic is a drama with a comedic edge, sitting somewhere between farce and satire. The surrealism of it it all is bizarre rather than funny, so it holds your attention even if it doesn’t make you laugh.

The art is quite good. In fact, the art is on par with comics produced from the Big 2 right now. Compared to most indie offerings, the art is exceptional. Neo’s lines are clean, the facial acting is on point, and Hinckley-Barnes’s lettering is nearly perfect.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

We begin with a lengthy bank robbery scene. Through the narration, we learn this is our Earth after more pandemics, corporate struggles rivaling the Great Depression, mask mandates everywhere, and a general sense of hopelessness sets in. As criminals take advantage of the growing societal apathy, “superhero” appearances are on the rise. However, these superheroes don’t have powers. They’re simply street vigilantes, some of who need therapy.

The bank robbery fails when a superhero who styles himself after John McClane from Die Hard intervenes. Unfortunately, McClane’s clumsy heroics get a bystander killed.

Cut to Judge Oliver Andrews, an honest judge who’s made a reputation for himself putting dangerous criminals and reckless superheroes away. Away from the bench, Judge Andrews is a decent (albeit inattentive) husband and friend. We conclude the issue with more superheroes appearing, even in unlikely places, a late-night takeout run that goes wrong, and Judge Andrews finding out not all superheroes are jokes.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.

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