F.A.R.M. System Shines A Light On The World Of Superhero Recruitment [Exclusive Preview]
The world of superheroes is so often reduced to saving the world (or universe) from various threats. Small scale or big scale, it almost always comes down to the hero fighting the bad guy, with shades of gray in the middle. But what does the world look like if superheroes are real? What businesses and practices spring up in that world? "F.A.R.M. System," a new graphic novel from Rich Koslowski and Top Shelf Productions, attempts to answer that question from a unique angle — and we've got an exclusive look at the book for you right here.
In /Film's exclusive preview of the book, which hits shelves this week, we get a glimpse at the odd world of superhero recruitment. In this world, various recruiters are out there to sign these super-powered individuals. Actors have talent agencies, baseball players have teams, wouldn't it stand to reason that people with superpowers would have similar agencies? To shed some further light, here is the official synopsis for the book:
In the Farm System, having an incredible and unique power is only the first step. Guided by an army of agents, managers, and experts, recruits must undergo rigorous psychological evaluations, harassment and sensitivity seminars, marketing, and endorsement workshops, and costume design meetings, all to boost their chances of recruitment into an A-list superhero team. Some recruits make "the Bigs". Some have fleeting moments of glory, then lose it all. Some take "Blue Cowl" gigs as superpowered bodyguards for famous actors or powerful CEOs. Some flounder in the System for years, never getting "the call". And some find success by joining teams of a... less reputable ilk.
The exploitation of super-powered people
Our exclusive preview offers a look at this recruitment process in action. We see a young boy with powers in an office with a man trying to convince him to sign on the dotted line. It oddly has a bit of a "Moneyball" feel to it, when Brad Pitt's Billy Bean skipped college to go straight to Major League Baseball. These agents will say anything to get an exciting prospect on their roster.
In this case, an A-lister from the Marvel universe that will certainly jump out at readers is name-dropped, though doesn't actually appear. Instead, we're introduced to a new hero in the form of Armor Man that wows the boy and his family. He looks like a Golden Age hero ripped straight from the pages of some forgotten DC Comics title of old. It's a shady world with shady individuals running it that is quite unlike anything I've ever encountered in all my years of reading comic books. At this point, different is welcome in superhero media.
"F.A.R.M. System" hits shelves today, November 8 and you can order it at TopShelfComix.com. In the meantime, check out the preview for yourself below.
