Torrent is Image Comics’ Take on Marvel’s Punisher
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The following contains major spoilers for Torrent #1, on sale now from Image Comics.
Every superhero is one bad day away from turning into a villain, or at least that’s what most superhero stories would have you believe. It’s not an unreasonable assumption—what stops a hero from using their abilities to turn to crime is largely rooted in their moral choices. Rare, however, is the story that asks what would happen if a hero didn’t stray from the path, but instead, altered their mode of crime-fighting after experiencing such a bad day.
That’s the question that Torrent seeks to answer. The latest superhero series from Image Comics reunites Marc Guggenheim (Arrow, Star Wars: Revelations) and Justin Greenwood (The Old Guard) for the first time since their critically acclaimed 2009 series Resurrection, to introduce readers to the world of Crackerjack, described as “the world’s most happy-go-lucky hero”. When she isn’t fighting crime, she’s Michelle Metcalf, a loving wife, and mother of one. But her idyllic life is about to be violently ripped apart when her one bad day arrives in the form of an enemy making it personal by attacking her family.
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The Origin of Image’s Torrent Series
In an exclusive interview, Guggenheim reveals that Torrent emerged from an intriguing premise: What would happen if Spider-Man turned into the Punisher? Crackerjack does share similarities with the Marvel mascot: She quips while bashing up goons, wears a colorful costume, and uses advanced science tech to aid her crimefighting. Like Frank Castle, she suffers a devastating personal life. Given that comic books are packed with too many male brooding vigilantes, Torrent can distinguish itself by showcasing what a different perspective might look like, based on Michelle’s reaction to the circumstances.
One way that this brand-new superhero series sets itself apart from its brethren over at Marvel and DC Comics is its stakes. The idea of a good superhero who breaks bad or flirts with darkness is not uncommon. Fans only need to look at Superman from the Injustice series, or the Batman Who Laughs, to see what a nightmare it can be when good people turn evil. However, these stories exist outside the prime universes and serve as antagonists to the good versions of Superman and Batman. Michelle Metcalfe, though, has only this world to live in. There isn’t a multiversewhere her husband is alive in a parallel universe. The consequences carry weight. Death is permanent and there might not be a way to return from the darkness or not be haunted by it.
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The Hero of Image’s Torrent was Broken After a Tragedy
Perhaps the biggest tragedy is that the ensuing events weren’t even Michelle’s fault, but those of her new apprentice, Slipstream (due to his super-speed abilities). When Crackerjack foils an armored car heist, Slipstream gets shot in the knee with a laser gun. She treats Slipstream’s injury using a special chemical compound but warns the young man to rest for two days to allow it to properly heal. But Slipstream, real name Simon Bennett, chooses to ignore her and attempts to tackle a hulking bank thief known as Bruiser. Unfortunately, his knee gives out and causes him to crash. Bruiser takes him to Mr. Skelton, a long-time enemy of Crackerjack, and promptly gets Michelle’s identity out of the poor Mr. Bennett.
Having glimpsed her home life, and how much she loves her husband and child, the attack on the Metcalfe residence is a gut punch. She’s helpless to prevent her husband from being executed in front of her eyes and to stop Mr. Skelton’s goons from kidnapping her son. This leads to the glimpse of her new vigilante persona teased in the opening. She still retains her sense of humor, albeit a darker one. This idea carries over into the art, too— the first and last panels have grimness that is absent in the rest of the story before the tragedy. Note, too, the Punisher imagery that Crackerjack evokes as she walks into a corridor and opens fire. By the end of Torrent #1, the colorful vibrancy has an overlay of graininess, signaling the first signs of Crackerjack’s new evolution.
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Torrent is a Superhero Comic for a Mature Audience
In this way, Torrent has a tangibility and adult sensibility that sets it apart from other gritty comic books. Perhaps it’s because this world has a closer resemblance to the real world. It can be cruel and unforgiving, and unlike most young adult or superhero stories, the adults here do know what they’re doing. Slipstream disobeying Crackerjack’s has devastating outcomes. Michelle may never forgive or trust the young superhero again when she learns that he gave her away to save himself from further torture. Nor does it refrain from depicting the viscera of its violence. Greenwood’s depictions of Slipstream’s injuries— his face swollen and bloodied to a pulp— as well as the violent killings are a far cry from the sanitized violence found in Marvel and DC titles.
It’s brutal and does not intend to glorify violence. Image Comics has been expanding lately into superhero territory. Although unconnected to the Massive-Verse, Torrent is a fascinating superhero world that could join it someday. Even if it doesn’t, it offers an enthralling playground for the creators to flesh out and explore. As for Crackerjack, she is already turning into an interesting character with her path already promising to be an odyssey of Shakespearean promise.