Originally conceived as a one of Milestone imprint titles for DC Comics, Static inhabits a comics universe where all the main heroes are black, reflecting the audience which McDuffie was reaching out for, who until them had found token representation through the likes of Marvel’s Black Panther, Falcon, Luke Cage and DC’s Black Lighting. Having created a Milestone universe, other heroes who appeared in their own books also put in an appearance, including Hardware, Icon and Blood Syndicate. Whilst the character has found greater success as an animated series, this volume brings together the first few titles from its earliest run in 1993, and then its relaunch as Static Shock in 2001., These two incarnations make for an entertaining read, which show not only a maturing of its lead character but also in tone of the story, and the constant ingredient of both is their ability to entertain.

On a night of terror in Dakota City, teenager Virgil Hawkins gets caught up in the deployment of gas to stop the violent mobs. Dubbed the Big Bang, it resulted in most people developing superhuman abilities, all dubbed the Big Bang Babies. Virgil found himself given electromagnetic powers, and so took on crime as Static, an identity he increasingly shared with his family and close friends.

Trial By Fire, the storyline from the 90s, has him struggling to defeat the fiery speedster, Hotstreak and taunting Tarmack before meeting a fellow hero, Holocaust. These tales have a lightness of touch, rebounding from home and college life to greater responsibility of the foes he’s forced to take on. It’s also reflected in the brightly lit, cartoony style of John Paul Leon and Denys Cowan’s art.

In the second tale, Rebirth of the Cool, someone is kidnapping and seemingly killing Bang Babies at an alarming rate, but the key to their discovery lies in the legacy of the first superhero, John Tower. Teaming up with a band of equally concerned heroes, they endeavour to discover the truth before the truth gets them. The overall tone of these stories is darker as Virgil takes his role more seriously. This is further emphasised by the looser more expressionistic artwork of Leon, enhanced by more subdued colour

Virgil/ Static is a wisecracking teenager, seemingly confident but also prone to moments of self-doubt and youthful wrecklessness as he learns to control his powers. In many ways, they capture the flavour of those early Spider-man stories where the dramas in Virgil’s private life is as intriguing as his alter-ego’s superheroic battles. Static Shock may not bring electrifying innovation to comic books, but it provides a few jolts of energetic escapism.