There are countless comics out there about some average guy who is in the wrong place at the right time and obtains, somehow, superpowers. In most cases, you'll read about the way in which this guy puts his powers to good use and becomes a champion for justice.

But not Parker Robbins, a 19-year-old ne'er-do-well whose bungled robbery attempt lands him a magical cape and boots that give him the powers of limited flight and, for as long as he can hold his breath, invisibility.

And you just know Robbins, a high school dropout who juggles a pregnant girlfriend on one hand and an exotic whore on the other, is not cut out of the same cloth as heroes. No, for him, this is a chance to get his share of the pie.

But a ne'er-do-well is a ne'er-do-well, and it takes more than fancy clothes to change his stripes.

The Hood, written by Brian K. Vaughan and pencilled by Kyle Hotz, is an atypical comic, to say the least. And Marvel's use of its MAX adult-themed imprint gives Vaughan some freedom to play in this stand-alone collection.

Vaughan, whose credits include Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina, certainly knows how to create complex characters and motivations, and I can't think of many writers who could make this gimmick work. There's no question throughout that Robbins is a bad guy, and not a particularly charming or endearing one, either. But Vaughan scripts a man who you might not root for, but you'll certainly understand. His dialogue rings true, and Hotz delivers the moody illustrations (supported by inker Eric Powell and colorist Brian Haberlin) to carry the action along.