Rippaverse’s The Horseman #1 Is Back and Better Than Ever

I thoroughly enjoyed The Horseman: Welcome to Florespark when it released. I really liked the character of Hector Caballero and how he was an interesting fusion of Batman and the Punisher, and he hasn’t changed a whole lot since then. While some of his motivations have switched around, he still feels like the same character I was introduced to, and became so invested in. I was really hoping that I’d get to see the Horseman ride again since he is such a compelling character, so I was very excited to see what happens next in The Horseman #1. It doesn’t disappoint.

SPOILERS FOLLOW

The story for The Horseman #1 is very much a set-up story. His introductory comic ended with him hanging up his armor and guns at the warning of Alphacore unless he wanted to have to deal with them and be treated like the very criminals he hunts since acting as a vigilante is acting outside of the law. As a result, Hector is left trying to adjust back to a regular life. He works a menial job and tries to keep his body busy through exercise, but it just isn’t enough. He’s bored, and he wants something to bring back the thrill he felt when he was a soldier. While out doing a delivery, he sees a billboard asking for the Horseman to text a number. Hector decides to do so out of curiosity, and it leads to him meeting the wealthy Cal Buxton, who wants to finance the Horseman to fight crime and keep Florespark a safe place. The Horseman’s efforts against the Tuna Cartel when he first entered Florespark impressed Buxton, and he wants to keep the Horseman very busy. Hector turns the offer down, until Buxton privately alludes to using Hector’s morals to convince him. When Hector returns home, he’s greeted by an ambulance carrying the, presumably, deceased body of a neighbor girl who overdosed on drugs a classmate gave her. Hector agrees to work for Buxton, so he begins by using his financier’s resources to build a secret lair and gather equipment. On Hector’s first job from Buxton, he hesitates on jumping the criminals, and during this moment of hesitation, Alphacore arrives and handles the situation. Hector is happy he waited, but angry with Buxton because situations like that can’t happen. Buxton agrees and begins buying out a few criminal informants. The comic ends with Hector beginning his second raid for Buxton, this time on a drug warehouse.

Hector’s driving motivation is a little different this time around, and I do like the change. Instead of taking down the criminals for the money, his motivations have pendulumed back to doing it because it’s the right thing. His family, namely his sister and nephew, are still the most important parts of his life, and this time he’s determined to keep them safe by not having his identity compromised. The Horseman as a force of justice is directly revitalized by the tragedy of a young girl overdosing on dangerous drugs, and the simple fact that this situation isn’t uncommon and he can do something about it. However, another driving force is that Hector craves action and excitement. His skillset is rooted in being a solider, and now a vigilante. He feels most alive, most like himself, when he’s out there fighting crime. The mix of thrill-seeking and wanting to be a soldier while still trying to do the right thing and keep people safe makes for a very compelling character.

Cal Buxton is the other standout character, and I really want to take a moment to analyze his character. I’m not sure what to think about him, and I think that’s the point. On the surface, Cal claims he wants to finance the Horseman to keep Florespark, and his businesses in the city, safe. Overtly, he’s happy to spend whatever resources Hector needs him to. And yet there’s a sinister edge that’s left implied in Cal’s desire to buy the Horseman at any price. Cal makes a comment about playing on the Horseman’s morals and principles to recruit him, and the fact that a girl overdosing on drugs is the incident that convinces the Horseman to ride again is a rather problematic chain of events when you think about it. Though it does seem a little suspiciously convenient that the girl who overdoses is so close in proximity to Hector when Cal insists on respecting the Horseman’s anonymity, but there are plenty of plausible explanations for this situation; for example, it could just be a coincidence and the overdose has nothing to do with Cal, but only time will tell. While I can’t make any judgements on Cal yet, he’s a very intriguing character, and one I intend to watch closely as the Horseman’s journey continues.

Turning to the art, it’s solid. While there wasn’t a whole lot of action in this issue, what little there was looked good. I didn’t notice many awkward looking panels. Colors were vibrant and well-done as usual. I don’t have much to say about the art other than that it looks like what you would expect from a professional modern comic book. The art is clean and easy to follow with no panels or speech bubbles feeling out of place or awkwardly placed.

SPOILERS END

The Horseman #1 didn’t disappoint. Of the many offerings from Rippaverse Comics, I genuinely think that The Horseman is one of the best. As a character, he’s very compelling and fun to watch in action. And I’m so excited that he’s been given a full continuation comic run after his initial appearance. If you’re a fan of characters like Batman, Daredevil, and the Punisher, the Horseman is a character you’ll enjoy, and this new adventure of his is definitely worth checking out.