This is Delta Dogs, an African-American superhero family fighting for truth & justice—- well they want to, but most of the time they’re fighting for survival.

One of the themes in this story is Expectation vs Reality. The characters are not in a comic book universe- well OK they are, but they’re not in a soft universe. Heroism and how each member responds to the challenge is different and difficult for each member of the reluctant family. They didn’t grow up with powers- they got shoved onto them (literally) by an unknown entity and they have to make the best of it. The leading gangsters in their city also have powers, training and combat experience on their side. Things don’t go according to plan, and since they’re teenagers, albeit streetwise teenagers who take the threats seriously, they still make dangerous miscalculations seasoned heroes wouldn’t. But to be fair, sometimes seasoned heroes ‘drop the ball’ or get put out by the unexpected villain trick. 

But the gangsters aren’t the only threat the family of heroes has to deal with. The military/government agency is looking for them. There are hints and scenes in the issues that there are other superhumans in the series, which colors how the Delta Dogs think about how to help the city. I haven’t read any other comics in the Dogverse nor have I seen any. I believe Young’s got plans for an extended universe and he drops hints throughout the comics that he might go in that direction. But the direction of the comic is steadily focused on the family and their trials in their normal life and fights as newbie heroes.

Anyway, I really liked this cover, even if it doesn’t quite accurately reflect the story in the issue. The cover’s focus on DR. Zinc (should be Dr.) with the main characters surrounded in full view just sings and makes the issue worth buying. The characters in the distance are supposed to be a bit blurry as part of the effect so I don’t dock the artist for that. The cover also does a good job highlighting the theme of racial strife in this series. The family knows by his uniform this guy is going to experiment on them. Sure they may not know the entire history of Tuskegee Experiments but they know they’ll be on the cutting block if this guy catches them.

The Kickstarter sent me issues 1-15, which for the most part, make for a good binge read. The training issues don’t drag, a few arcs seem a bit stereotypical, but the art’s consistently good. I think I got more than my money’s worth and so would you. They don’t only do Kickstarters and you can find all their issues at their website. It’s something I really appreciate and I wish other Kickstarter artists would do the same. Give ‘em a go if you’re into superhero family comics, or young-adult focused comics in general. Sure, it’s not Saga or Fantastic Four but I think it’s a top contender for best family comic.

Main Website                                            Facebook Page                                  Kickstarter 

One of my favorite yet frustrating series is finally back. I literally wrote this sentence last week but it's true with the following 3 issues I got from them recently. There was a sales glitch and the owner gave me a free #19! Let there be more sales glitches! 

We continue with the battle against Grey Sox and the other Sox gangs. The power pills put the Delta Dogs at a disadvantage that forces Quan to take on a dangerous plan. But the Deltas got that dog in them and want to fight as well. Can Quan complete the mission and set the battlefield against the Grey Sox and the other powered gangs to their advantage? Or will the team family fall apart due to their resentment?

We also got a side story with Vonnell the 12-year-old beginner struggling to stay with the team. His powers are hard to control. Challenged with a fire rescue, he sees a victim with a story much like his own. Can he overcome his fear and lack of understanding of his powers to finally save the way?

The art remains as good as it was, though it looks like the company has decided on their character models and general looks by now. The pacing needs a bit of work because it feels like the story needs more than 5 episodes to resolve. But the panel work has seen some improvement. I think these 4 issues will make any fan of the story happy. The cover art's not as poppy as the first issues but at this point, you're not buying for the cover art.

You can find Delta Dogs on their website https://millennialcomic.com/