Marvel Boy (2012)

One of the superhero genre's groundbreaking deconstructionists, writer Grant Morrison has recently toggled between the arty (The Invisibles) and the mainstream (Justice League of America). He tries to reconcile both halves with Marvel Boy, a next-generation relaunch of the cosmic hero Captain Marvel (no relation to that ''Shazam!'' guy of the same handle). Morrison's hero is an angry alien anarchist — a ''living weapon'' whose cockroach-spliced DNA allows him to scurry up walls Matrix-style. In the first issue he escapes dissection by a malevolent industrialist named Dr. Midas and vows to ''fix'' our problem-plagued planet ''MY WAY!'' Morrison is a little too eager to start his yarn with a blockbuster bang, and some of his old tricks — like the brazen homages and ironic banter — smack of rehash. Marvel Boy may be novel fun for superhero fanboys, but it'll have Morrison fans pining for something more daring. B-