PHENOMENOVA #1 & #2 Comic Review

PPhenomenova by Indie Comics creator Vaughn Coleman is a phenomenal comic about a fledgling teenage superhero that understands what it takes to make a great comic: heart. Vaughn layers what is a common concept in comic books and brings his character to life with a pathos that elevates it to Indie Comics greatness.

The first comic burst onto the scene last year, and Vaughn Coleman did not just wander into Indie Comics for grins and giggles. A lifelong comic book reader and fan of heroes, he starts every interview as well as the comic with a dedication to his father, Keith Coleman, who died during the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. Vaughn reaches into this personal tragedy to bring his character Miles to life.

(Vaughn and his father, Keith Coleman)

“Write what you know” is a bit of authorial advice that’s been tossed around the internet for quite some time. While it's more commonly used in prose writing, it is not uncommon for comics creators to follow suit. Eric July’s Isom utilized a character who is a black rancher who lives on the outskirts of an urban metropolis in Texas. Not quite a full self-insert, but in a very similar fashion, the main character, Miles, is a plucky blonde kid whose dad and uncle were tragically killed ten years prior in a terrorist bombing.

But Vaughn steps past the aged trope and brings Miles to life with genuine heart and morals. Whereas many comics give simple lip service or gloss over the heart of a character, Vaughn takes the first third of the 68-page first issue to establish not just the world of Phenomenova, but the character of Miles, who becomes a young superhero named Galvaknight.

In this world, a villainous force called Lord Dragonfire kicked off WW3 and took over China. Superhumans began popping up and formed a team called the Crusader Corps to repel him and end the threat. Miles’ dad was one of the special forces soldiers in that war. Right away, the comic works to establish the foundational mythology of recent history and gives us a good starting point for the main character’s introduction. Miles thinks back to his father often, gleaming both lore and morals from the man to inform his decisions as the comic goes forward.

Miles stands up to a bully at school, even though it lands him in trouble. He opines on why it was important for him to do so, even though he paid a price. Later, Miles, his friends, and his little brother go cave diving and find a glowing rock. A bolt of lightning later strikes it while he’s holding it, resulting in the acquisition of speed and lightning-based superpowers.

What follows is a little by-the-numbers teen superhero fare: Miles decides to become a superhero in honor of his dad, makes a clunky homemade costume, and goes rushing into danger leaning too much on his powers to be his safety net only to get in over his head facing a terrorist group led by an armored figure named Dark Cloud. He’s rescued by the legit heroes and given a stern talking to, but also the chance to join Phenomenova, a team of young heroes like himself who are trained by veterans of the Crusader Corps.

The beats might be familiar, but it’s all in the execution. The aforementioned heart goes a long way into making Miles endearing to the reader, so by the time he’s finally hitting the bricks as a hero, you care about what happens to him. This was far from a one-man effort, and Vaughn gives a lot of credit to his team that helped him put the comic into shape. The artwork by Phillip Cruz is great, but truly shines in big panels. This shot of Lord Dragonfire is an exceptional example. The colors by Hector Rubilar make the artwork pop, elevating it to an entirely different level.

You would be hard pressed to think Phenomenova wasn’t from an already established mainstream comic publisher. The writing, an issue for many an Indie Comic, is top-notch. It moves well. The dialogue never feels forced. The ebb and flow of Miles taking action and facing believable consequences after the fact gives it a very grounded feel. (The bully he punches early in the comic later drags his name through the mud on the news). The comic is committed to a standard of storytelling that is professional in every sense of the word. The presentation, artwork, editing, and everything work to make Phenomenova one of the more professional Indie Comic offerings in recent years.

Issue #2 is shorter, only 24 pages, and hits many similar beats as the first issue. This serves as Miles’ training arc and introduces several more female side heroes that we are introduced to, but don’t have quite as much story development to get a great feel yet. Primaril,y we are introduced to his mentor character: Senshi Phoenix. It deals with the fallout of his adventure in Issue #1 and sets the stage for Issue #3, which will be crowdfunding in July 2025.

Phenomenova is what Indie Comics has long needed: an iconic character with a well-written plot told by creators who love comic books, superheroes, and the fans who enjoy them. Vaughn Coleman is an underappreciated leader in the Indie Comics space, and he got that way by being personable and professional, a standard that is present across his work and makes his comic a Five-Star must-buy for fans of Indie Comics and superheroes.

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