San Futuro, the none-too-distant future. A once vibrant city lies in ruins after a devastating earthquake known as The Big One left the streets in the control of gangs of genetically modified super heroes. Heroes that are violently out of control. Heroes with no respect for the law... SFPD cop Marshal Law - a veteran from the Zone bolstered by super strength and the inability to feel pain - has been put in charge of bringing order to this unruly metropolis. Crime is just the symptom... he's after the disease...

From the creative team of Pat Mills (Charley's War) and Kevin O'Neill (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) comes Marshal Law: Origins - two hard boiled stories that explore the secret history of the ultimate hero hunter, including previously unseen O'Neill artwork.

In Day of the Dead, a worn-out Marshal Law hopes only for retirement. But any chance of a quiet life is dashed when a pack of superhero serial killers begins stalking the streets of San Futuro. And in Cloak of Evil, one of San Futuro’s leading sex queen hostesses turns up dead in what appears to be a bizarre ‘suicide’. But it seems clear that there is more to this insidious situation than meets the eye.

Like Titan Book's Tank Girl: Armadillo! and a Bushel of Other Stories, Origins takes a popular comic book series and turns out a couple of meaty tales. To be honest, I was a little surprised that this hadn't been done before. Origins is a tasty treat from two of the most respected talents working in the comics industry, and to publish a Marshal Law book is an inspirational move for those fans who want to delve a lot deeper into the world of their heroes.

It's as funny (come on, who won't find the 'Wall of Infamy' amusing?) as it is dark. Marshal Law fans will love this collection.

8

Pete Boomer