Posted by Every time I review a Rippaverse product I always say that I’m impressed and that I feel confident in supporting the products released by this company. Even if the last few offerings haven’t instantly become my new favorite comic, I still enjoy their comics and have no regrets purchasing them. The Horseman: Welcome to Florespark is no exception, except in the fact that it might actually be my favorite comic they’ve released thus far. Once I picked it up I genuinely couldn’t put it down. Now to explain why, and why that matters.
The Horseman doesn’t shy away from its obvious inspiration in DC characters like Batman and Marvel characters like Punisher and Daredevil. Chuck Dixon’s opening letter to the fans even says as much, citing Batman and Punisher as belonging to the same archetype that the Horseman belongs too. However, the Horseman feels like an interesting spin on this comic book archetype. Before I elaborate on that, I will preface my review by saying I am not that versed in comic books. I don’t know every single Batman or Punisher storyline. My experience with the characters vary and is fairly limited in the grand scope of things, so some things I may praise as feeling new and fresh might not actually be that new and fresh.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
The Horseman follows Hector Caballero, a veteran who puts his military skills to use in civilian life as a vigilante cleaning up the streets, and making some nice money doing so. The story opens with Hector battling some ninjas on a train while he internally monologues about this fight being an indication he’s angered the wrong people, so it might be time for him to get up and leave. He uproots his family and moves to Florespark where he immediately begins stopping criminals. Unfortunately, during his first excursion into the streets of Florespark, he gets caught by two crooked cops and they blackmail him into working for them. The cops then pit Hector against the crime boss they work for, giving Hector targets for him to hit while stringing the boss along until everything comes to a head and they try to betray Hector by sending him into an ambush. Hector survives the ambush and approaches the cops, telling them to meet him at a bowling alley so they can get their next payment from him. Once at the bowling alley, the two parties prepare to end things, only for a third party to intervene: two Nazi excepts hired by the crime boss to find out who’s messing with his operation and deal with it. The excepts kill the cops, and Hector attempts to defeat them. He does an admirable job, but he’s no except. When things look bleakest, Alphacore arrives to save the day and rescue Hector. He tells them everything and is sent on his way, saying that he’ll give up his life as a vigilante.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Using Punisher and Batman as examples, Hector is very different from both of them. He has no qualms with killing or simply injuring his opponents, with his primary focus usually being on either survival or getting the money. Not to say he isn’t interested in justice, but the justice also isn’t the driving force behind his actions, or at least it isn’t anymore. Hector’s motivation originated in stopping the kinds of people who killed his brother-in-law and put his sister in a wheelchair. Hector lives with his sister and her son, and he does what he does to keep them safe. They are always his priority, and one way that manifests is through stopping criminals and taking their money. Batman doesn’t need to care about the money, instead stopping criminals in the pursuit of justice. Punisher kills criminals to avenge his family because he has nothing left to lose, so he delivers his own brand of justice. The Horseman obviously cares about justice, seeing as it started him on this path, but justice isn’t all he fights for, and if anything it begins to take a bit of a backseat at times.
The Horseman isn’t an origin story, but is instead simply a chapter in Hector’s life. It’s one story chronicling how he moves from one city to another and the struggles he faces in his new home. As a result, his mistakes and decisions feel natural. The reason he gets caught by the crooked cops is because, as he says it himself, he went in blind and did no research on his new hunting grounds. For an experienced vigilante, it makes sense that he wouldn’t really think to go about things differently, and it bites him. But even more interesting is Hector’s willingness to confess when he’s found out. He tells his sister and nephew everything, and then he does the same with Alphacore at the end. Hector is willing to admit when he’s made mistakes and is in too deep, and he just talks to people instead of doubling down on hiding his secrets. It feels like a refreshing spin on the secret identity dilemma frequently appearing in comics because the secret identity is important and must be kept hidden, and yet Hector reveals all when necessary. The result is a natural, realistic plot that doesn’t need to bend over itself and contrive annoying elements to maintain a status quo. I really like that about this book.
However, there is one moment in the book that could be seen as a contrivance: the deus ex machina of Alphacore arriving to bail Hector out during his final fight. I disagree with it being contrived. After the failed ambush. there’s a short scene where police officers are during forensics at the scene and Bryan Solari stops by. It’s subtle, but Hector drops one of his guns during the fight and a similar looking pistol is clearly being photographed by forensics. It’s subtle little details that make the story feel complete and make little moments like Braxwell saving Hector feel that much more earned.
Finally, the story advances the overarching Rippaverse in important, but still minimal, ways. For example, the crime boss Hector antagonizes ends up dead at the hands of Michael Copper and Lilian Ronashi, the enigmatic villains most prominent in Alphacore #1. However, The Horseman is still self-contained enough that if you miss it, the next time Lilian and Michael have pivotal roles in the plot, you won’t feel like you missed anything. The result is that we as readers are reminded that these antagonists exist and are making moves, but you’re not forced to consume every single product just to understand what’s going on. It respects your time and interests while still rewarding fans. I hope to see more of Hector Caballero as the Horseman because he’s a fun and interesting character, and the ending is left rather open-ended. It will also be interesting to see what happens next because he could be our first glimpse of the world outside of Florespark. The story begins outside of it, and it ends outside of it too. I don’t know the next time we’ll see the Horseman, but I’m definitely looking forward to when we do.
Turning to the art for a moment, it’s solid. There are some panels here and there that look a little funky, usually because of a far away shrunken face, but the important scenes all look great. Action is explosive and entertaining, and the colors are quite vibrant too.
Overall, The Horseman is a phenomenal comic. It’s gripping and engaging, while staying fresh despite using tried and true tropes. As with all Rippaverse products, it’s good quality and just plain fun. The narrative is tight, the characters are likable (or not in the case of the villains), and the artwork does exactly what it needs to. Rippaverse has been hyping up The Horseman for a while now, and I can say with certainty, it more than lived up to the hype. If you’re a comic book fan, a Rippaverse follower, or even neither, I wholeheartedly recommend checking out The Horseman: Welcome to Florespark.
Broad Scope Entertainment 