Any fan of Image Comics’ early days will discover a lot to love in Vanish #1 by Donny Cates (author), Ryan Stegman (penciller), JP Mayer (inker), Sonia Obeck (colorist) and John J. Hill (letterer). That a lot is clear at a look, with various visible nods to predecessors like The Darkness or Spawn. But there’s extra at work just below the floor on this ebook, because the tremendous heroic veneer rapidly falls away to reveal a compelling story about nice expectations and the human price of childhood indoctrination.
In Vanish #1, Oliver Harrison is the Chosen One. Or at the least he was, again when he attended an extradimensional faculty for magical kids. These days, he sticks to a strict pharmaceutical cocktail designed to numb all of it — or kill an elephant. He stumbles round in a relentless fugue state, not sure whether or not his darkish previous is true or just one other hallucination. Perhaps each. But when an outdated foe resurfaces, Harrison should flip and face the truth he has tried so desperately to outrun in maturity.
Child troopers are a startlingly recurrent trope in fantasy. Whether the Jedi Academy or Hogwarts, there’s no scarcity of extremely questionable examples the place youngsters are granted totally an excessive amount of energy and anticipated to put it to use correctly with out query. While many commentators cry foul in on-line boards and suppose items, hardly ever will we see tales that take the ache of that trauma to its logical conclusion. But that is precisely the place Cates and co. desires us to go, posing some tough and needed ethical quandaries. The end result is a character-driven examination of a theme that’s all too usually taken without any consideration. Whatever your expectations going into this ebook, relaxation assured Cates has a lot of surprises up his sleeve.
To actually promote the deconstructionist nature of the work, Stegman summons the spirit of greats like Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo with breathtaking talent. There are echoes of those who got here earlier than in these strains, however with a definite visible aptitude that elevates the artwork to greater than easy homage. This feels extra like a remix, taking the weather that labored for 90’s and impressively updating them for a contemporary viewers. Those with even an off-the-cuff affection for conventional comedian ebook artwork might be properly happy by the sheer craftsmanship of Stegman, Mayer and Obeck. All are in excellent synch, bringing the center and grandiosity of Cates’ script to the forefront.
Vanish #1 is a rattling nice comedian that finds all its expertise in prime kind. It’s uncommon to see a title with such probably broad appeal, however that proper is exhausting fought and earned right here. A various swath of themes, genres and kinds are juggled with utmost grace, promising a satisfying sequence to come.
Verdict: Buy
REVIEW: Vanish #1
Vanish #1
Writer: Donny Cates
Artist: Ryan Stegman
Inker: JP Mayer
Colorist: Sonia Oback
Letterer: John J. Hill
Publisher: Image Comics
Oliver Harrison was a legendary hero who slayed the best menace to his realm earlier than even hitting puberty. But that was then.
As an grownup, Oliver leads a median cookie-cutter suburban life-aside from the truth that he’s mentally unstable, massively paranoid, smokes like a chimney, and will get blackout drunk each night time to conceal from his horrific nightmares. Will the arrival of a superhero crew known as the Prestige show the insanity isn’t all in Oliver’s head? And what about all of the epic fantasy crap from his childhood?
Join us for a brutal as hell story of magical worlds, gifted youth, evil sorcerers, superheroes, struggle, blood, guts, and dying that punches you proper within the face!
Price: $3.99
Read extra nice evaluations from The Beat!
Discussion about this post