It’s hard not to see the influences on The Tin Can Society #1 from Image Comics. You’ve got old friends reuniting at a funeral, straight out of The Big Chill. You’ve got a superhero murder mystery where old “teammates” might be the suspects, a la Watchmen. Yet it’s a credit to new comic book writer Peter Warren and the always excellent artist Francesco Mobili that the first issue of the new series manages to remix these familiar stories into something new.
The story is a slow burn of discovery over the course of the first issue, so mild spoilers ahead. Johnny Moore is a tech billionaire also known as the Iron Man-esque superhero Caliburn. What makes his life story particularly engaging is that he was born with Spina Bifida, and led a hard life up until he made friends at school… The Tin Can Society of the title. Years later, Moore has been violently murdered, and his friend and frequent photographer Kasia thinks it might have been one of their old friend group.
Most of the first issue is spent establishing the suspects through Kasia’s eyes, and she makes an engaging central figure. She’s not nearly as broken as Rorschach from Watchmen, but she has some of the sort of removed, clinical narration that characterized the fan favorite (without quite the nihilism or violence). As we’re filled in on where the rest of the Tin Can Society have ended up, it’s clear their lives revolved around Moore — and Caliburn. Some rejected him entirely. Otherwise worked with him hand in hand.
While Warren has never written a comic book before, Mobili is an old hand at it. This is closer to his work on X-Men than the outrageous Rick Remender title The Scumbag, which he also worked on. The characters are big, bold, and clean, with an edge of darkness around them. That’s contrasted with the brighter scenes of them as children, so a testament to Chris Chuckry’s colors, as well.
It’s an intriguing start to the mystery and a well-restrained debut from Warren. What holds it back, perhaps is the comparisons to other media, Watchmen in particular. At least at first glance, you’ve got your Rorschach, you’ve got a Nite Owl. Heck, you’ve even got your Doctor Manhattan figure, though he’s the murdered one in this case. It’s not an exact one-to-one, but once you see it it’s hard to unsee it.
Ultimately what will define this series is how it differentiates itself in the short and long run. We’re just at the start here, and it’s a good, solid one. What Warren’s ultimate goal is with the book, and these characters, is TBD. But I know I’ll be joining this Society to find out what’s next.
The Tin Can Society #1 will hit stores on September 18, 2024, from Image Comics.
The Tin Can Society #1 Rating:
The Tin Can Society #1 Official Synopsis:
The first stunning issue of a brand-new miniseries from Giant Generator showcasing the first comics work by screenwriter and incredible talent PETER WARREN (The Incal feature film, Kill Me) with jaw-dropping art by FRANCESCO MOBILI (X-Men, SCUMBAG) and beautifully colored by CHRIS CHUCKRY (New X-Men, Gen 13).
Johnny Moore is a world-famous tech mogul known as much for his work pioneering mobility aids for people with disabilities (like himself) as he is for moonlighting as the metal-suited vigilante, CALIBURN. But when Johnny is found murdered and his suit stolen, his estranged childhood best friends reunite to solve the mystery of his murder.
THE TIN CAN SOCIETY is a heartfelt and human look at the evolution of friendships across a lifetime, at disability and ableism, and the destructive power of fame.