Aspen Comics 2015
Written J.T, Krul
Penciled by Alex Konat
Inked by Julie Salvatierra & Mark Roslan
Coloured by Federico Blee
In 2003, Michael Turner’s Soulfire unveiled a world of magic and technology at deadly odds with each other—yet, there were those who strove to fight and usher in an age of magical rebirth despite the slim chance of success. Now, the two warring ideologies have fused into one, a technologically advanced society filled with groundbreaking—and frightening—possibilities. The future as uncertain as ever…
I love the way this issue opens, also the fact that the free comic book day edition was a prelude to this issue and not something that also appears here. If there’s one thing that’s been consistent at Aspen is the quality of it’s interior artwork and Alex and company are really having a chance to shine and keep up such a fine tradition. When the Wyvern or Dragon if you prefer appears here it’s magnificent in all its glory and horror blending the idea of magic and science all in one opening sequence.
Cassidy is a young high school student who is experiencing first hand the affects that magic are having on the populace. Somewhere in her DNA lies the makeup that has given her the wings it’s interesting actually to see as there is no real rhyme or reason as to who is affected just that the genetic makeup is strong with their ancestors giving the whole interbreeding and dormant and dominant DNA a more valid footing. High School however isn’t the time or place for a girl to be different as her classmates can be quite cruel when you’re different. When you are outed thanks to a cruel joke it can be even worse though it really is done in a spectacular way.
So the lone swat man standing at the end of the Wyvern attack is being recruited by the government and the man in charge is a tool. He’s denying magic’s back and that these creatures are the result of bioengineering and DNA manipulation, an easy way to excuse something you refuse to accept or see. Though this young man sees things for what they are that creature he fought wasn’t born in a lab by scientists. His new squad has a new target and thanks to the prank at the Natural History Museum that target is Cassidy though a girl with wings really this is the kind of target they’ll go for makes me more than a little queasy.
We end the issue meeting Miya and Lily whose wings are the same as Cassidy’s. There are different types of wings that denote different tribes who have them and some are good and some are evil of course those lines aren’t always black and white considering some people who are good or bad can develop wings now that won’t automatically put them in good with their “own kind” but we’ll have to see how that goes and the series progresses.
J.T. is one of those writers who seems to be able to embrace any world or genre he wishes to and bring you into through a strong, well crafted, paced story that is full of characterization and character development. We see young Cassidy as this scared young woman who doesn’t know what’s happening to her, the young Soldier new to his unit who has questions and isn’t satisfied with the company line and the man in charge of that unit who is ambitious and blind to reality and quite possibly harsher and unyielding in his views than he should be. All of this create a world full of awe, wonder and horrors that as a reader it’s easy to get lost in.
With this level of writing and interior artwork to match it’s no wonder why Aspen continues to thrill us with these stories. A new age has dawned and nothing is going to be the same again so join them for what promises to be a new classic age of storytelling.