The Adventures of Unemployed Man

by Erich Origen, Gan Golan, Ramona Fradon (Illustrator)

MAIN STREET, USA -Against incredible odds, jobless crusader UNEMPLOYED MAN and his sidekick PLAN B embark on a heroic search for work-and quickly find themselves waging an epic battle against The Just Us League, a dastardly group of supervillains including THE HUMAN RESOURCE, TOXIC DEBT BLOB, PINK SLIP and THE INVISIBLE HAND.

Experience this action-packed story in THE ADVENTURES OF UNEMPLOYED MAN-a fearless, brilliant, and provocative book that ASTOUNDS with incisive wit and AMAZES with stunning insights into the desperate situation so many heroes find themselves in today.

A new supergroup of down-but-not-out heroes has emerged from the economic crisis, including perpetual grad student MASTER OF DEGREES, fix-it-with-tape DUCTO, pain-shrinking therapist GOOD GRIEF, checkbook unbalancer ZILCH, shadow worker FANTASMA, and WONDER MOTHER, who built her invisible jet from pieces of the glass ceiling.

These heroes have enlisted the help of Erich Origen and Gan Golan, the dynamic duo behind the New York Times bestseller GOODNIGHT BUSH. Together they tell the story of our intrepid heroes' climactic clash with the self-interested villains who dwell in the Hall of Just Us, devising sinister plots that threaten the entire world.

This richly illustrated book is a parody of classic superhero comics from the Golden Age to the present day-and a brilliant dissection of our current economic meltdown. It features dazzling artwork by such comics legends as Ramona Fradon, Rick Veitch, Michael Netzer, Terry Beatty, Josef Rubenstein, Benton Jew, Thomas Yeates, Shawn Martinbrough, Clem Robins, Tom Orzechowski, Thomas Mauer and Lee Loughridge.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Humor, Comedy, Social Commentary, Satire, Graphic Novels Comics

80 pages, Paperback

First published October 18, 2010

About the author

Erich Origen is a New York Times bestselling author whose books are “absurdly funny and very smart” (SF Chronicle), “hilarious, clever, very relevant, and remarkably insightful and thought-provoking" (Time), “furious, fearless” (The Observer), and “uproariously witty and brilliantly successful on every level” (Library Journal).

Reviews

[Sophie (BlameChocolate) *on hiatus* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a parody of our current economical meltdown done right, with tons of fun moments and ingenious puns to keep the reader entertained. It's not all fun and games, though. Seemingly lighthearted and leisured at first, this comic touches very serious topics haunting our world, such as the high unemployment rate, health care, debt, education, morals, greed, gender inequality, the growing devaluation of human beings, and much more.
It's a wake up call, but while it can get a bit depressing at times, it does serve a grander purpose. Not everyone will enjoy the politics thrown in, and might even feel like it carries different values from their own. But taking that aside, I think this comic book can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone. The humor is great, exceptionally clever, and supported by a nice understanding of the world's (but mainly the USA's) economics. The old-styled, Golden Age-inspired art is charming and captivating, and will make you feel nostalgic. Surprisingly, though, it works well with the modern and pop culture references (mostly about superheroes, of course), which this comic is filled to the brim with. The nonstop, inventive wordplay is also something to look out for and will put a smile on your face every time.
Overall, an interesting and quick read for anyone interested in having a good time, but also an educational one.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's not the economy, stupid -- it's you!"

I found my way to The Adventures of Unemployed Man by an unbeknownst-to-me academic read called The Half-Life of Deindustrialization: Working Class Writing About Economic Restructuring. At the time, I thought Half-Life was going to include writings by the working class, not a writing about other writings about the working class - silly me. Nevertheless, it pointed me to a satirical caped crusader that was (dare I say?) super.

The Adventures of Unemployed Man follows Bruce Paine, wealthy businessman by day, caped-clad superhero by night - known to the local metropolis as The Ultimatum.

Do I still have your attention? Trust me, it gets better.

The Ultimatum's superpower is thinking on the bright side (blinded by unfettered capitalism might be more apt). He roams the city's streets imparting a message of self-reliance to the poor and downtrodden, chastising the unemployed for "living like [rats] eating government cheese."

"In America, if anything is possible, then why have you chosen to fail?"

You see, The Ultimatum believes wholeheartedly in The American Dream: you determine your own success; your fate and security is set by you alone. In fact, he stands behind the bulletproof shield that, "In this great nation of ours, every generation has it better than the last."

That is, until he has an awakening of his own.

On his vigilante escapades through the city, he encounters unemployed citizens who once worked at Painecorp, before 5,000 of them were laid off by The Firing Squad. Seeing their hopeless state, including struggling to provide for their families, he returns to Painecorp and decides to put a cap on executive bonuses - only to get the boot by the board.

As he joins the ranks of the unemployed, he's assaulted by several supervillains.

Cobra: A parody of benefits continuation once you've lost coverage. "Extend your benefits? I've got you covered! It's just $2,000 per month."

Plaztik: A parody of our credit card-induced consumerism. "Sorry, but I can't stretch things any further!"

Fico: A parody of credit scores, represented by an angry bulldog chomping on our heroes spandex-clad leg.

Has-been Ultimatum experiences the life of the 99%. He stands in a long line of unemployed superheros interviewing for a sidekick role, only to be turned away for being overqualified. He tours the once thriving manufacturing sector, whose plants have sunce been shutdown and relocated by The Outsourcerer.

And he learns the origin stories of his fellow unemployed superheros, like The Master of Degrees, who's overeducated and chained to lifelong student loan debt; Wonder Mother, who was trapped below a glass ceiling before being drummed out of the labor force for taking care of her newborn; and White Rage; an undervalued cubicle worker led astray by Fox News rays and who now smashes the things that'd benefit him most (e.g., affordable healthcare, banking regulations).

"Holy hopelessness, Unemployed Man!"

Our hero transforms himself from finger tsk-ing Ultimatum to Unemployed Man, a champion for the job-less.

It's satire at its best, thoroughly entertaining, and as clever as it is cutting.

A solid 4 out of 5.

Post-Script: Stay tuned for Fantastic 4 Facts!

Grab your bootstraps!: Thirty years ago, CEOs were paid "only" 78x more than minimum wage earners. Today, CEOs earn over 4,000x more.

Reach for the Sky!: If the United States "maintained the same income distribution we had in the 1970s," workers would earn at least 3x as much as they do today. "As of 2007, income inequality was higher than in any year on record, save one: 1928."

We're number one!: "America is not only the richest nation in history, we also have the highest poverty rate in the industrialized world! A stunning 50% of U.S. children will use food stamps at some point in their childhoods, and 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck." Add to that, "Personal debt has risen from 65% of income in 1980 to 125% today."

Breakaway Success!: "The richest 400 Americans have more wealth than 155 million Americans combined (50% of the population). The wealthiest 1% now hold more financial assets than the bottom 90%."

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was completely great and well worth the read. I was drawn in by the sort of silly premise, not fully knowing what to expect, and I was really pleased with the whole thing.

On the lighter side of it all, this is a great parody of comics. The various superhero names and parallels to DC and Marvel characters were great. I loved the retro art as well as the "amazing facts" and silly little ads, everything that made it feel like a real comic from decades past was great. I loved how not subtle it was. Bruce Paine, a rich man, vigilante, with his Cave of Positivity or his vehicle The American Dream Machine. Wonder Mother, with her invisible jet (made of the glass ceiling). On and on it goes, the parodies were endless and excellent. This was hilarious and worth reading for the sense of humour as well.

On the more serious side of it, I genuinely like the statements about more recent political and economic issues. This actually does a great job of using a superhero parody to make a bigger point about how horrible society and the government are to poor people, or even just people who aren't rich. This was rather spot on and I wasn't expecting that at all from this, I was rather impressed.

Overall this was a really good read. It was funny, fun, and made some great points about real issues. I would definitely be willing to reread and I would recommend it completely.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC FACTS
Grab your bootstraps! Thirty years ago, corporate CEOs like The Man were paid only around 78 times more than minimum wage earners, but thanks to the hard work of the Just Us League, today's CEOs earn over 4000 times more! In fact, they can make more in one year than average earners (not the lowest) make in 90 years! They're that good.
Reach for the sky! If the USA maintained the same income distribution we had in the 1970s, heroes in the work force would earn at least three times as much as they do today--averaging about $120,000 instead of today's $40,000. As of 2007, income inequality was higher than in any year on record, save one: 1928. Happy days are here again!
Dream big! In the last 30 years, the American Dream has grown increasingly out of reach for more and more people--unless they don't live in America. Today a poor child born in Germany, France, Canada, or Scandinavia actually has a better chance of joining the middle class in adulthood than a child born poor in the good ol' US of A. Take that, you cheese-eating socialists!

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this a lot more than I expected to; this partially explains a lot of the messed up economic/social policies that led to the current recession, but it's also an over-the-top superhero parody. My one criticism is that in trying to do both it never fully achieves either. A lot of economic realities are mentioned but not fully explained and it never achieves a full superhero narrative either: it's really stringing together various economic concepts and news events and overlaying a different superhero trope over each one. So it's a fun read, but I might have preferred something that tried to be more educational and less parody.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

A modern superhero satire on our current economic crisis with characters such as Wonder Mother, Everyman, Plan B, and Lemur Brothers. It hits on a lot of the issues of the Great Recession and offers actual facts that helped our current situation to happen. A very fun read unless you're one of the few who weren't hit that hard by this.

[Sonic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spot on take on America's recession, and how "in denial" most Americans prefer to be about it.
A refreshingly cynically harsh take on our current descent into new medieval times.
Hilarious!

[Dustyloup · Rating 5 out of 5]

par le pouvoir d'accouchement, je l'ai adorais!

[Jennifer Kanke · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much clever word play! It almost gave me back all the hope that's been sucked from me by teaching critical theory during the primary season.

[StrictlySequential ArtNarrative · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeing certain personal experiences/observation orchestrated here was profound!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writing and fantastic art--it would actually perhaps served even a little better if it weren't such an overt parody. While the economy was in the doldrums in 2008-? this serves as a reminder of how fortunate and out of touch vast parts of the public were with chants like "The Power of Positive Thinking"

Capetown USA is the Hooverville for Unemployed superheroes. There's problem with The Ageists, Nepotismo, White Rage, The Invisble Hand (becomes an Iron Fist!), The Just Us League, The Deregulator,

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually recommended as a graphic novel for job-seekers. Well, no. It's actually a great superhero/political satire on the heels of the Great Recession. I'm not familiar with the genre, so I really got a kick out of the cleverness, the puns, the enlightened view of economics.

[Vincent Konrad · Rating 3 out of 5]

much smarter and more political than I expected. indicts capitalism while paying homage to classic comics.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was funny and clever but golly do I dislike politics and economics. Low rating due entirely to that.

[Colin Oaten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice parody of the superhero world and the American economy

[Derya · Rating 5 out of 5]

İ would read a Fellowman comic.

[☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars. I feel like I've been beat over the head repeatedly by the parable, but the satire is satisfying.

[Hank Olivas · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a pedantic, somewhat corny, but very funny take on comic books, The Adventures of Unemployed Man sets out to illustrate the sad state of U.S. economics between 1980 and the present. Though a few of the gags and puns fall flat, most of them are spot-on as we follow the fall of pro-corporate superhero Ultimatum (The Dark Knight of Self-Help ...!) and his transition into the titular Unemployed Man. Many of his cohorts and foes sport inspired names such as "Wonder Mother", "Master of Degrees" and "The Deregulator" and comic book stereotypes are skewered throughout, right alongside the economic concepts in the authors' crosshairs. It's telling that I found myself as equally disturbed as amused, considering how our situation seems to have worsened since this was first published in 2010, rendering the optimistic finale of Unemployed Man as a bit unrealistically contrived. Nevertheless, as an entertaining primer of late-stage capitalism's economic woes (and possible solutions), this graphic novel still packs a punch.

[André · Rating 3 out of 5]

SOZIALDEMOKRATISCHE KRITIK À LA OCCUPY

Gut gezeichnet, origineller Humor, inhaltlich paar Probleme. Die Aufteilung und Bezeichnung der Abschnitte ist von mir:

1.  Abschnitt "Erfolgreicher Superheld und gesell. Absturz":

Erich Origen weiß um die Härten, die mit der Festlegung Aller auf Lohnerwerb verbunden sind - zeigt z.B. Obdachlose. Er weiß, dass Reichtum kein Gegensatz zur Armut ist, sondern beides zeitgleich nebeneinander existiert, Armut kein gesellschaftlicher Mangel bzw. Mangel an Produktivität sondern Ausschluss vom vorhandenen Reichtum ist und sich Menschen ihr Auskommen erst verdienen müssen.

Origen begeht nun den idealistischen Fehlschluss, dass Arbeit im Kapitalismus fürs eigene Auskommen da wäre und dafür taugen müsse, wenn man von ihr abhängt - und die Obrigkeit etwas falsch gemacht haben muss, wenn es sich anders verhält. Er fordert mehr Arbeitsplätze und irgendwie bessere Bezahlung. Nur ist Lohnarbeit kein Gegensatz zur Arbeitslosigkeit, der unemployed man als deprimierende Daseinsweise ist lediglich die Kehrseite kapitalistischer Arbeit: Abhängige konkurrieren untereinander um Arbeit und er- und behalten ihr "Lebensmittel" nur solange es sich fürs Kapital rechnet. Lohnarbeit ist ein Mittel zuerst für Staat und Geschäft, das heißt: eine abhängige Variable derer Erfordernisse und als "Lebensmittel" oft ungesund und zwangsläufig unsicher. In diese Richtung weist nichts bei Origen.

Origen kritisiert die Selfhelp- und Motivationsindustrie, weil sie ein Attitude-Problem behauptet, wo "das System" schuld ist; das System soll aber schuld sein wegen der Attitude seiner Oberakteure: gierige Manager, Neoliberale, ... Origen gibt den Attitude-Vorwurf also nur weiter; er schließt von unerwünschten Wirkungen auf ein Versäumnis als deren Ursache zurück, auf moralisches und fachliches Versagen.

2.  Abschnitt "Capetown USA - Zeltstadt der Arbeitslosen":

Als Gegenbeispiel eigener Anständigkeit und Mitmachbereitschaft dient eine Liste biografischer Unschuldsbeweise: Superheld A, B, C, D will, aber darf oder kann nicht; jeder weiterhin bereit zu harter Arbeit, Anpassung und Anspruchslosigkeit (die Tugenden armer Untertanen) – man verlange nichts Unzumutbares, nur den Status Quo von gestern; wolle Pflicht erfüllen in diesem System; an ihnen läge es nämlich nicht, System wäre "kaputt" durch ->

3.  Abschnitt "das 1%, the deregulator und Krise":

Finanzzocker, egoistische Konzernchefs und unverantwortliche Politiker – krisenideologische Schuldsuche: Schlechte Menschen stören die gute Ordnung; Origen will nicht wahrhaben, dass Kapitalismus über Verarmung restauriert wird, dass Krise die Krise des Kapitals meint und nicht die Existenzkrise freier Obdachloser, die es in und zwischen Krisenzeiten immer gab; beliebiges Auseinanderdividieren vermeintlich guter und schlechter Seiten kapitalistischen Herumwirtschaftens, ohne Zusammenhang ernst zu nehmen: Warum können Finanzzockereien überhaupt den materiellen Lebensbereich zerrütten, was sagt das über Ziele und Mittel der Produktion ("Realwirtschaft") aus? Auch in diese Richtung weist nichts bei Origen. Origen kritisiert endlose Verschuldung...

4.  Abschnitt "Rettung Obama":

Sozialstaatsidealismus: Kritisiert wird ein fehlender Sozialstaat wie in anderen Ländern, den es dort nur gibt, weil die kapitalistische Rechnungsweise, Konkurrenz, der Ausschluss vom Warenberg usw. ständig Härtefälle produziert: Die Verwaltung der Armut als erstrebenswerter Normalfall, getragen durch den Zwangseinzug eines erwirtschafteten Lohnanteils aller Arbeiter und Angestellten schon in Antizipation ihrer möglichen Armut, inklusive Sanktionen zum Zurückzwingen in entsprechende Lohnarbeitsverhältnisse. Ein rentabler Arbeitnehmer erarbeitet übrigens das gesamte Arbeitgeberbrutto.

5.  Abschnitt "hall of Just-us":

Links-Rechts wird als Teile-und-Herrsche-Strategie von oben dargestellt, Querfront um die 1% Volksschädlinge (u.a. "Captain Unamerica") zu verhauen und damit die "Machine" zu stoppen. Allerdings hätte die Beseitigung der "Mentality" (Egoismus) noch zu folgen, meint Origen. Nur liegt es am Inhalt der Zwecke, die mit- oder gegeneinander verfolgt werden müssen, und nicht daran, dass es ein Zweck von mir ist, der mir nützen soll.

[Giovanni Gelati · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading graphic novels for many reasons and The Adventures of Unemployed Man is a prime example. It takes the basic premise that the economy is bad right now, but incrementally worse if you are the one laid off and without a job. The graphic novel does its job through incredibly sarcastic humor and a poignant narrative that is bound to hit home with those that are struggling and those that are rich and cruising along. No one goes away unscathed from this story; it is really a great plotline.
Check it out: ”MAIN STREET, USA-Against incredible odds, jobless crusader UNEMPLOYED MAN and his sidekick PLAN B embark on a heroic search for work-and quickly find themselves waging an epic battle against The Just Us League, a dastardly group of supervillains including THE HUMAN RESOURCE, TOXIC DEBT BLOB, PINK SLIP and THE INVISIBLE HAND.
Experience this action-packed story in THE ADVENTURES OF UNEMPLOYED MAN-a fearless, brilliant, and provocative book that ASTOUNDS with incisive wit and AMAZES with stunning insights into the desperate situation so many heroes find themselves in today.
A new supergroup of down-but-not-out heroes has emerged from the economic crisis, including perpetual grad student MASTER OF DEGREES, fix-it-with-tape DUCTO, pain-shrinking therapist GOOD GRIEF, checkbook unbalancer ZILCH, shadow worker FANTASMA, and WONDER MOTHER, who built her invisible jet from pieces of the glass ceiling.
These heroes have enlisted the help of Erich Origen and Gan Golan, the dynamic duo behind the New York Times bestseller GOODNIGHT BUSH. Together they tell the story of our intrepid heroes' climactic clash with the self-interested villains who dwell in the Hall of Just Us, devising sinister plots that threaten the entire world.
This richly illustrated book is a parody of classic superhero comics from the Golden Age to the present day-and a brilliant dissection of our current economic meltdown. It features dazzling artwork by such comics legends as Ramona Fradon, Rick Veitch, Michael Netzer, Terry Beatty, Josef Rubenstein, Benton Jew, Thomas Yeates, Shawn Martinbrough, Clem Robins, Tom Orzechowski, Thomas Mauer and Lee Loughridge. “
That is a serious amount of credits but they are definitely due. The artwork was really good and fit like a glove. The dialogue was amazing, and the parodies of just about everything were so funny it made the graphic novel difficult to put down. I am going to say that this is a must read, whether you are a fan of the genre or not, the plotline and writing are just too strong.
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[Joe Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow the amazing adventures of Unemployed Man, formerly known as The Ultimatum until good intentions and a stand against The Man got him The Boot. Shrewd, witty commentary on the state of the economy and the roots of our nation’s fiscal woes inform the action in this cleverly written, beautifully illustrated graphic novel. The parody is ripped straight from today’s headlines—supervillains like Cobra (he’ll cover your insurance after being laid off, only $200 a month!) and Kollectus (he comes after outstanding debts and takes everything) show up alongside heroes such as perpetual grad student Master of Degrees, fix-it-with-tape Ducto, pain-shrinking therapist Good Grief, and Wonder Mother (she built her invisible jet from pieces of the glass ceiling), all presented in a dead-on tribute to many classic comic book styles. Nods to noted comics illustrators such as Jack Kirby and others are just some of the sharp, wonderful little details crammed into every page.

The parody is not limited to the characters, however; the book itself is organized as a parody of a comic book, right down to the inclusion of phony ads for products and a wickedly funny section titled Fantastic Facts. Origen and Golan back up their stylistic accomplishments with an insightful, provocative story, made all the more effect for its presentation in such a fun, familiar and nostalgic format. This would be a good book for fans of graphic novels or superheroes with a twist, or patrons looking for an interesting presentation of basic socioeconomics in an easy to follow format.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many sins. I'm actually not very impressed. That said, it was a ton of fun, and I wouldn't have missed Wonder Mother, Lemur Brothers, Golden Sack, and the Outsourceror for the world.

This allegory preaches squarely at the white collar section of the liberal choir, characterizing opponents in willfully dismissive and offensive ways. It strings together select economic factoids in ways that really don't make a cogent argument or teaching about our economic woes. It leaves me not at all sure whether the author has a clue what he's talking about, or is just pulling talking points from Democracy Now without understanding.

Ironically, the unemployed end up being saved by one man's determination. He could well be said to have bootstrapped a community renaissance, even to have pulled them together and up by their bootstraps. I don't think they intended that or thought it through; it comes out awfully close in construction to the sort of market-oriented fables the first pages of the book deride. Our hero is even a new convert facing his first personal hardship after a lifetime of wealth.

White Rage is really cringeworthy and should be condemned. I don't know what to call it because I don't like throwing the term racist around and don't think it actually fits, but it needs some sort of condemnation. Do we have a term for that?

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caveat: one of the authors is my neighbor.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. While I usually prefer the more serious type of GN (like Persepolis), this very comic-book-style work was great. It was a visual treat to look through it and note all the tiny little details subtly embedded in the pictures. The creativity and humor were exactly what one needs when looking true evil right in its ugly mug. Best of all, for me, was that Origen and Golan have their finger right on the pulse of what's going on politically. I wish they'd have had more women characters, but kudos to them for the variety of superheroes they did include such as White Rage (a white guy who is angry at all the stuff white men are angry about, but is trying to understand the root of his misplaced rage), Fantasma (an undocumented superhero who is ignored but does vital work), and Wonder Mother (got fired from her job when she refused to nurse her baby in the supply closet).

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this massive pastiche of comic book heroes, Erich Origen uses pop culture characters to take a closer look at the current United States recession. Opening with the multibillionaire crimefighter Ultimatum (and his Batman-like existence), our saga sees the positive-thinking hero runs into a sweatshop crew that makes all his merchandise. When he raises a stink, he gets canned by the Boot and ends up as Unemployed Man. His efforts to get back into crimefighting lead Unemployed Man to cross paths with aging sidekick Plan B, working man Wonder Mother, and the downtrodden heroes of Cape Town - a shany zone headed by Fellowman. As the heroes attempt to defeat the schemes of the Man and the Invisible Hand, Origen continues to send up cultural figures, plans, and American politics in an effort to showcase how far America has fallen from its path. A truly enjoyable read that uses Golden Age ideas to reflect on the current state of affairs.

[Sandro1981 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not currently unemployed but imagine that if I was, I would find a way to rate this book 7 stars. I am, admittedly, a fan of dry punny humor and this book is chock full of exactly this. The story is of modern day super heroes (the unemployed masses) fighting the good fight against the "Just Us League" - a band of super villain CEOs led by "The Invisible Hand". The heroes are simply equipped with powers that stem from their experience. For example, "Fellow Man" has the power to make anyone else feel the pain of someone else's station - an ability absent from the roster of super-villain executives. I had so much fun reading through this book that I am going to immediately look up what else these writers have done. Would make an excellent "tongue-in-cheek" gift for your under-employed friends.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some people called this 'propaganda', and I suppose to some it might seem that way. I felt it was a fantastic way of explaining some political issues without the usual hate and venom... there is instead satire and humor, along with a BIG dose of the 'clue-by-four' of thinking- how can people not see these mistakes? Sometimes it's the background noise! We get so caught up in the whole picture and the details, we fail to see the world/country as one giant system that we ALL live in! Putting it into comic book format, showing how a superhero might end up on the 'bottom' and what can put everyone back on top, along with putting those superheros to work... is a WONDERFUL way of addressing it without aggression. I was amused, charmed, and pleased. At least I wasn't the only one asking what the heck was going on! ;)

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was aces! Need an explanation about why all those folks are "occupying" places, here it is in a comic book.

I was in from the start as Origen takes a shot at Positive Psychology with Ultimatum Man urging people to be positive, after all, if you're poor it's your own fault for not thinking good thoughts and working hard! This dastardly super-being pushes the party-line until he's fired, suddenly becoming Unemployed Man. On a quest to find work he uncovers the reasons for economic woes, why the rich keep getting more, and what the other super-heroes he meets are doing in the struggle to survive.

Hits many super-hero comic tropes why also elucidating the policies that have created the wealth gap, expensive health care and other evils.

Highly recommended.

[Ryan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this casting of the housing crisis and our current economic system in superhero terms and with different superhero (and supervillain) characters. (See: The Liquidator, Golden Sack, Blowhard, Buzzword, Fellowman, White Rage, Master of Degrees, Wonder Mother and the evil genius over everything: The Invisible Hand.) While I'm sure some would call this a misrepresentation of reality, the authors even represent that idea with a cameo from the villain named Spin Doctor. This reframes conversations about poverty in the same way that the conversation about racism and white privilege can be reframed here: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/15... Brilliant.

[Keith Akers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice comic-strip, graphic-novel treatment of the problem of inequality and debt. It doesn't really deal with peak oil, limits to growth, or resource shortages, but does deal with the huge and growing problem of inequality in a humorous comic-book satire. A take-off on "action comics," the heroes battle the toxic debt blob, the invisible hand, and other enemies in the "Just Us" League. Unemployed man finds other heroes such as Fellowman, Wonder Mother, Plan B, etc. and tries to get the Hero-in-Chief (who sure looks like Obama) to take decisive action. There are some facts scattered throughout, but the main appeal is to common sense, and the comic does a good job of that.

[Sarah]

Calling this a quirky and unusual taste is a massive understatement, but I highly enjoyed this thinly veiled satire of the flaws in capitalism (namely greed without regulation) and our current economic collapse told in a humorous retro superhero story. Its peppered with facts to show how the 'american dream' is largely a crock of shit as corporate wealth runs unchecked but it is also full of good humor. My favorite is White Rage, a normal man turned into a giant hulk-esque man whenever words like "gay marriage" or "socialist" are uttered as a side effect of watching too much Fox news. Worth the 30 minute read though I suspect it will end up preaching to the choir.