Tom Peyer’s Hourman Turns 20

The 25 issue Hourman series written by Tom Peyer is the very definition of a hidden gem. Published in 1999 by DC Comics, it follows the android Hourman, an “intelligent machine colony” modeled off of the World War II hero of the same name. Eschewing the “power for an hour” Miraclo pill of his predecessor, this “new” Hourman has a god-like grasp over time and space. In the series’ memorable first issue, Hourman’s encounter with an ashamed Snapper Car leads the android to forsake his godhood. Now possessing much more limited powers, he sets off on a quest of self-discovery. Peyer’s Hourman is one of the most unique superhero comics ever published. It can best be described as a “superhero comedy,” though that label fails to convey its complexity. Hourman successfully mixes a variety of tones, influences, and themes in a genuinely mature comic that still felt like a classic superhero comic.

The only other book that’s really comparable to Hourman is Grant Morrison’s Animal Man. Even then, the two runs are only similar in the broadest ways. Both Hourman and Animal Man use an obscure character to explore the weirder parts of the DC Universe. The wacky Silver Age influences and humorous tone contrast with some much darker moments, though it all balances out nicely. However, Hourman lacked the heavy metacommentary or animal rights politics of Morrison’s Animal Man. Instead, it emphasizes absurd comedy and the personal growth of its main characters. Snapper and Hourman have real, impactful arcs and more complexity than most A list characters. The fact that they’ve rarely appeared since has just preserved what this series accomplished. This meaningful character development makes Hourman one of the more satisfying DC sagas.

Even outside of his bizarre origins and nature, Peyer’s Hourman is a unique character. While the android has vast knowledge and power, he has little in the way of real experience. That gulf essentially makes him a child, as his friends are quick to point out. Peyer’s handling of that dynamic lends Hourman a level of innocence largely absent in modern superhero comics. That contrasts with the disastrous consequences of his actions, which typically result from honest mistakes, peer pressure, or occasionally carelessness. Peyer adds further complexity to Hourman through his more mature aspects. During few points throughout the story he comes off as aloof or even cruel. Hourman‘s often absurd tone never prevented it from having fully fleshed out characters.

Finding a villainous foil for such a powerful and nuanced character is no easy feat. But Peyer gave Snapper a nemesis through a particularly inventive take on Amazo. In a botched attempt to meet Hourman’s artificial ancestors, the classic Justice League villain ends up absorbing half of Hourman’s infinite power. Given a real personality as a part of the bargain, Amazo becomes a stubborn adversary. The mechanical mimic is usually little more than a mindless repository for stolen powers. But Hourman takes a more original approach. Like his heroic rival, Amazo becomes obsessed with self-discovery, though with far more destructive results and selfish intents. Like all great supervillains, he became a warped doppelganger of his respective hero.

Hourman‘s 25 issues are broken into small storylines that never last more than three issues, another Animal Man parallel. Regardless of its content, each issue transitions seamlessly into the next. Hourman does a better job fitting together its disparate characters and stories than most modern, decompressed comics. Each plotline was unique, including an encounter with Snapper’s “Superman,” the mall from hell, the return of JLA’s Tomorrow Woman, Thanksgiving with the Justice Society and a JFK Assassination paradox. None of Hourman’s bizarre plotlines felt similar but they never felt contrived either. The series engaged its bizarre, multifaceted premise with an earnestness that’s no less uncommon or invigorating twenty years later. While most of Hourman’s plotlines are largely self-contained, they all feel like a unified narrative by its bittersweet conclusion.

Hourman also uses the mechanical and time travel nature of the character to give the android’s predecessors some attention. Hourman regularly finds himself lost in the memories of his long dead progenitor, Rex Tyler. At times, this is literally the case. Rex ends filling a surprisingly natural role in a series set long after his death. It also leads to some genuinely depressing scenes with Wendi, Rex’s movie star wife, and Rick, his rebellious, dying son. Hourman’s escapades into Rex’s past help flesh out his own character but also show that as amusing as the android’s antics might be, they have real impacts. Hourman manages to explore all aspects of the minor character’s mythos while paying respect to each era.

Hourman gives what is easily the best characterization for Snapper Carr, who was previously just an archaic piece of the Justice League mythos. In the original Justice League of America comics, the snapping, powerless Beatnik would provide clever ideas and witty commentary. Snapper quickly became unpopular with readers, eventually coalescing into the Dennis O’Neill story Snapper Carr- Super Traitor. In that story, the Joker deceives the beatnik into betraying the Justice League. Hourman uses that plotline as the basis for Snapper’s updated characterization. The series presents Snapper as an upbeat, goofy but largely aimless has-been who helps Hourman at the expense of his own life. Peyer paints him as a tragic figure who never recovered from being tricked into hurting his closest friends. But even with this darker rendition, Hourman allows Snapper to overcome his own flaws, something few other “dark and gritty” revamps saw fit to do.

Hourman benefited from having Rags Morales’ illustrate most of the series. He’s one of the only superhero artists who captures the nuances of facial expression and body language. Morales handles the comedic, Silver Age influenced scenes just as well as the more restrained, emotional ones. Many of the more bizarre moments wouldn’t have worked without Morales interpreting them. However, his anatomy was very strange at that point and some of the designs get a little too lurid. This is especially true for Bethany, Snapper’s ex-wife, and Hourman’s girlfriend. It should be noted that Hourman was published at the tail end of what was arguably the most objectionable era of superhero designs. The fill-in artists show this with their own questionable choices. They also clash with the idiosyncratic tone of Hourman, where Morales’ art always made it feel natural. The one exception to this was the issue drawn by Starman artist Tony Harris, who adapts his style to fit Hourman with great results.

DC Comics has no shortage of great series but few are as overlooked as Peyer’s Hourman. It combined an eclectic mix of elements, with an approach that was playful when it needed to be and serious when that was necessary. Most importantly, Hourman was fun and it was never ashamed of that. It came out when the superhero genre was struggling with its identity, trying to come to grips with an increasingly uncertain future. Even then, this series managed to produce something that captured the genre’s largely abandoned adventurous spirit, while still retaining its own identity. It’s a shame that few seemed to have learned from the example set by Hourman. Unfortunately, the series has never been collected or made available digitally. Thankfully it’s pretty easy to purchase secondhand online.