Review Shooter: Nowhere Men 1
First issues of comics are a really hard thing. When you’re a new series, you need to properly introduce a lot of elements, and craft an intriguing story so that fans feel compelled to come back for more.
At the end of Nowhere Men 1, I didn’t feel like I was on a complete journey and I didn’t find a compelling hook to see it through the end. The book introduces a lot of interesting concepts, characters and situations but never pushes them beyond simple carrots for the reader to chase after.
Take the first characters we’re introduced to, the rockstars of science, Dade Ellis, Thomas Walker, Emerson Strange and Simon Grimshaw, as they are about to make history. We barely get to know them or their personality before we are jettisoned into the future, and see that things are going a bit rocky for their relationship. It seems like one of them has gone slightly overboard with an experiment, We don’t really know much about it, other than it killed the lab assistance. Before it can be followed more, we’re whisked away to the past.. or present.
In this story, we meet a crew that are all currently feeling ill. The medicine on board is doing her best to keep everyone healthy, but with no real idea of what is causing the illness. We know that the doctor is romantically involved with one other crew member, and there’s varying personalities. That’s about it. We aren’t really given much else, and even the final twist doesn’t really grab me. It isn’t a new or exciting venture for comic books.
While I didn’t find the story compelling, the art was fantastic. I’m not quite sure how to describe it, but it has this old-school feel to it. It seemed more lively and vibrant than I’m use to in recent comics. The wonderful blue skies, the final page reveal and the use of colors just worked across the board.
A special note has to also be given to the characters’ facial expression, which did a great job of telling a story. Anger, disappointment, rage and so many more complex emotions are made to look easy across these pages.
Recommendation: Trade-Wait I seem to do this often when it comes to new series, but there just isn’t enough here to warrant a purchase right now. That said, it could develop into something special once they are able to spread their wings a bit. Until then approach with caution.
