CREDIT: Aspen Comics
Rating: 4/5 – A Post-Apocalyptic Tale with Lush Art.
by ComicSpectrum EiC Bob Bretall.
I literally got chills while reading this comic. That happens only rarely and I read a LOT of comics, so it’s a credit to Siya Oum that she evoked this reaction from me. The first 7 pages of this issue set up the story as we see a very young Lola and the events that lead to the “apocalypse” that really needs to happen to set up any “post apocalyptic” story like this one. Page 7: Cue the chills. Set up done, we can move into the story proper on page 8.
We’re not treading new ground here; this is a setting we’ve seen before in any number of comics, books, movies, and video games. Devastated cityscape, society has devolved to vendors hawking their wares in the streets, people using horses as a main mode of transportation, gladiatorial combat for entertainment, and really shady looking bars with appropriately seedy customers. We’ve still got guns, all the better for the undoubted action to come. Sound familiar? Lola makes a couple of decisions that I’ll chalk up to “the impatience of youth” that need to happen to get her out on the road and facing conflicts that will provide action/excitement as the story progresses, so it’s a minor point that the decisions are not as fully fleshed out as they might have been.
The main attraction of this comic is Siya Oum’s art. I’m happy to read a story that, while not treading uncharted waters, is beautiful to look at. Even with the somewhat “been there done that” story we get in this issue, I care about Lola. This is mainly because of the setup, I want to know how her story is going to play out. We get a decent amount accomplished in the first issue and leave off on an appropriately ominous note that has me wanting to come back for the next installment.
Reviewed by: Bob Bretall
(bob@comicspectrum.com)
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