Who says superheroes have to be filled with angst?

There are surprisingly few good webcomics about superheroes. I suppose on the one hand it is understandable - superheroes have been done. You've got as many as you can handle in the print world of comics, and it is hard to find a story that hasn't been already written a dozen times before.

A few good ones do still manage to crop up - and the latest one I've stumbled across is Special School.

The name... yeah, leaves a bit to be desired. But the comic itself is good.

The premise of the comic, as one might surmise from the name, is that is about a handful of young, super-powered kids who are taking a government-sanctioned class training them to be heroes. So it is both a superhero strip and a college drama, and maybe that's what works so well.

See, the characters have character. They are normal, fun-loving college kids - who just happen to have powers. The powers aren't irrelevant, but don't define them. They tend to reflect their personalities, sure - but they are themselves first, superheroes second, rather than the other way around.

At four panels a strip, gags and punchlines about, but that doesn't stop the strip from developing a story - and generally doing so with ease. We've got one conflict after another within the first dozen strips. The ability to blend drama and humor without letting either take control is the sign of a very talented creator.

And, of course, he pays homage to the evil overlord list. Which gets him a free win in my book.

So check it out - Special School, by Andy Mason. Enjoy.