Don Simpson's Megaton Man was not a breath of fresh of air, it was a hurricane of fresh air. The comic was at once a terrific spoof of several classic comic book tropes and styles while at the same time being a compelling story all on its own. Some characters, perhaps developed for a joke, became in time people we cared about as they drifted closer to a sense of reality.
Trent Phloog, the Megaton Man is an absolute fool, but somehow he attracts folks who have qualities of worth. Even Megaton Man's own desire to do good, as misguided as it often is, is noble.
Simpson is a dynamic artist and while he has largely withdrawn from the field was able to tell stories that at once made fun of a form while using that form to tell more stories of the type being spoofed. The fact is that Simpson's love of comics and of the heroes who populate them kept Megaton Man from becoming disdainful while showcasing the evident absurdity of the concepts. And he did it with magnificent craft.
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I've never head of the Megaton Man, but it looks like the Tick, which is a good thing. :-)
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