RAFAEL GARCIA: HENCHMAN #1 / Plot by PETER MURRIETA / Script by PETER MURRIETA & D.E. SCHRADER / Art by BEN HERRERA / Colors by EMMANUEL TORRES / Letters by CLAY ADAMS / Covers by KIT WALLIS, MEXI-FUNK & DAN MENDOZA / Published by TITAN COMICS

Rafael Garcia is one of the few, the humble, the henchmen. The hours are long. The work is tedious when it isn’t lethal. And the benefits are largely non-existent, apart from being able to travel for free and see the world. Or at least see the warehouses and airplane hangars of other countries.

Until recently, Rafael has been content to be one of the guys on the perimeter. The ones who don’t risk much and get a steady paycheck at the end of the mission. But when his squad leader announces his upcoming retirement, Rafael starts to think that maybe he’s got what it takes. Unfortunately, middle-management politics may prove to be more dangerous than dodging gunfire and heat-vision blasts.

There have been quite a few bits of media that have explored the lives of low-level supervillain henchmen. Off-hand, I can think of The Venture Bros, various Deadpool comics, and at least one Gail Simone penned issue of Birds of Prey. (Come to that, there were also two different scenes in the original Austin Powers movie that were cut for time in the American release.) However, while Rafael Garcia: Henchman may not be entirely original in its conception, it succeeds admirably in its execution.

The script by Emmy award wiinner Peter Murreita (Wizards of Waverly Place) and filmmaker D.E. Schrader does a solid job of establishing Rafael as a likeable protagonist. He’s the classic slacker who lost whatever dreams he had along the way and has come to like his rut. Indeed, his main motivations for applying for a command post are stopping an annoying co-worker from getting the job and impressing the ex who dumped him two years earlier. These problems make him relatable, despite the fantastic premise of his work.

The artwork is similarly solid. Ben Herrera does a good job keeping things moving, which is vital given most of the comic is people talking to one another. He also created some good distinctive designs for the male cast. Unfortunately, the female characters all have the same-shaped face and a more limited range of expressions. However, the colors by Emanuel Torres are suitably eye-catching and the letters by Clay Adams crisp and clear.

All in all, I found Rafael Garcia: Henchman #1 to be a good read and would like to see the rest of the story. It is not high art, but it is an amusing execution of a classic concept. I highly recommend it to any superhero fan with a sense of humor and anyone who ever felt sympathy for the randomly killed mook.

Rafael Garcia: Henchman #1 arrives in comic book stores on March 25, 2026.