The Inhumans are well known for their heroic acts and legendary battles, but there is one member of this dynamic royal family that comic readers know little about, Lockjaw. The dimension traveling massive dog, loyal pet of King Black Bolt, is now the star of his own comic Lockjaw #1. It’s time to find Lockjaw’s family.
We know that Lockjaw is the product of King Black Bolt’s experiments. For all of his extraordinary powers, Lockjaw is a real dog, and at the start of this comic, we see the royal pooch called away from his home on the moon. Lockjaw is following a course that will bring him to some answers. Even though the main character is a dog who only speaks in barks and woofs, we follow Lockjaw because he is a superhero, and like any hero that wants to find the answers we are compelled to take the journey with him.
But Lockjaw #1 is not just about man’s best friend. We meet Demolition Man, Dennis Dunphy, friend and former partner of Captain America, a fallen hero who is experiencing hard times. Living in Brooklyn, washed up, the glory days long gone, Dunphy will intersect with Lockjaw and be brought on the furry pooch’s journey for answers.
My Opinion
I didn’t know what to expect with Lockjaw #1. I have enjoyed the Inhuman comics, but a whole story about the dog made me question if I could sustain my interest. I was wrong, Lockjaw is quiet a compelling character.
Comics have lately been using cultural moments in our real world as inspiration for stories that reflect how the heroes of the comic pages deal with these issues. Readers feel connected to the imaginary people, and relate to what is going on better, when they see something of their life on the page. Lockjaw #1 steers clear of the cultural and societal issues and allows readers to escape for a few minutes.
Writer Daniel Kibblesmith, yes that is his last name, used Medusa and Black Bolt sparingly in the story and let Lockjaw be the main character. Even a small cameo from Karnak didn’t stop the journey aspect that Lockjaw was on. It would be like watching Happy Hogan from Iron Man get his own storyline and only having Tony Stark appear in the story for two pages. You wouldn’t expect to stay interested, but I did. I liked Lockjaw #1 because it wasn’t an Inhuman comic. It can be fun to see something new, or a new take, as long as you are open-minded, and willing to give things a chance. I mean I even watched The Amazing Spider-Man when it hit the big screen.
My interest peaked when the story moved to Brooklyn and we meet Dennis Dunphy. The former Demolition Man is a sad pathetic shadow of himself. Dogs have worked wonders in helping people with PTSD, and other ailments to recover and move on with their life. Lockjaw needs Dunphy, but not as much as the former Demolition Man needs Lockjaw.
Mrs. Gillespie fills that role of the kindly neighbor who accepts poor Dunphy for who he is. I knew from the first page I saw Mrs. Gillespie and her dog Bixby that this was a relative of Lockjaw. The two dogs look very similar. They don’t get to spend much time together because Lockjaw and Dunphy must fight off an attack from an armed squadron of hamsters. As ridiculous as it seems, the armed hamsters in their flying hamster ball ships was fun to watch. It made me think of the movie Bolt, and how much the hamster character Rhino made me laugh.
If you like dogs, you will like Lockjaw #1. If you are looking for a quick easy escapist read, check it out.