If? Commix 2014
Written & Illustrated by Matt Kyme
Coloured by Gat Melvyn
I hadn’t noticed till I was reading this issue that the Crusader’s outfit is very much on the revealing side and not something we normally see on a man so yay for that. It’s nice to see the treatment female characters get on a dude. Also I like that Wormhole and Bulletproof being younger have costumes that are more age appropriate. Plus it makes it seem like the tiered training program kind of costume till they are old enough and respected enough to choose one of their own making.
I like Monochrome sure she seems like a villain you’d see fight Captain Planet with all her trying to poison the Earth but she’s written well. She also comes across not so much as a madwoman just one bent on making the Earth more to her liking and that which will be a suitable host for an alien race.
After the fight with Monochrome and Anth gets hurt in the process the Crusader is questioned by the council about it. This council reveals a little truth about Anth and that he inherited his powers from his father, Mr. Tremendous who was disgraced is cause for concern for them. Ah it’s nice to see that people often judge on that which they do not know and fear rather than that which is in front of them. This whole scene makes me wonder what’s going to happen down the road and if Anth, Anthony, really will end up like his father. I have to say though if he does it’ll be less because he wants to and more because these folks drove him to it.
Matt is doing this all himself so bear with him when reading this because there are times the artwork is very unproportional and amateur but there’s also potential here. No one was great right off the bat and that he seems to have moments of struggle with forms and proportions just means that he’s human. Also that the we see his potential is kind of exciting because it means we get to see him mature and develop as an artist. Still his imagination shouldn’t be overlooked.
Hmm I think I like Realist he’s kind of hipster and edgy and totally doesn’t give squat about boundaries. He says what’s on his mind and it’s kind of fun watching him tease Anth. Still this meeting of the heroes is a big deal and we meet a few others like Charge but it’s what Bulletproof and Wormhole can’t do that is more revealing. They can’t hear what’s going on only subs and heads can hear supposedly to keep things under control but to me it’s a problem. This organization has already shown too many signs this issue that they are more mistrustful of others and shouldn’t be trusted themselves.
Matt has some damn great ideas happening in the storytelling here. It really is thoughtful, intelligent and thought provoking. This makes for great reading, i’ll say he’s a much better writer than artist but hey this is what self-published stuff is all about and it’s so worth reading. His high school life is interesting and a nice distraction from his superhero life. It’s hard to find a nice balance between the two worlds and i’m looking forward to seeing how Matt keeps handling this.
I’m a big fan of the alien drama going on here. I look forward to seeing how they impact the planet and the heroes. I have some hopes and ideas of what I want to see happen and I’m sure some sort of combination may occur but it’s all about waiting for the next issue.
Folks again another reason to check out the small self-published folks. This one is from Down Under and it’s great to see that world wide love for the industry.