Image Comics 2015
Created, Written & Penciled by Shane Davis
Inked by Michelle Delecki
Coloured by Morry Hollowell
Lettered by Patrick Brosseau
I have to say that the whole concept of using a video game to find people to become heroes and then subsequently bringing them into the real world is one many have dreamed about. Personally I always wanted to do the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon roller coaster ride but I digress. So last issue Ruin went all bad at the White House and has started a worldwide panic and we pick up there.
Aside from the concept I think it’s pretty impressive that Shane is able to keep the characterization going in ways you don’t expect. While we see Ruin and what he’s like in his “real” life or should we say former life and how easily it was for him to be manipulated into wearing his gaming suit and going on a rampage. It isn’t surprising really it is a bit disheartening but not surprising considering. Still it would have been nice to see him overcome it but then we wouldn’t have the necessary upcoming conflict.
What we do get is the potential for a character to overcome the bad in his life and become well for lack of a better term good. So yeah this inner conflict with a character in the main trio is nicely handled.
So with the suit from the game Ruin is going all out here with what he can do and how he’s leveling up while doing it. The array of abilities they possess and continue to evolve seems unlimited, both great and a problem. The U.S. Military doesn’t know how to handle this except this doesn’t work let’s throw more at it, which c’mon why is that American Military anyway if something doesn’t work you stop reassess and try a different tactic not continue to make it worse. Sure it does come across extremely accurate, gosh the U.S. is poorly portrayed and sorrily so but it’s the truth of the matter.
I do like the other reveal we got this issue. That grouping and how they met were something I wasn’t expecting and honestly I can start seeing why the game was created to find those who could use the suits and move forward. So it’ll be interesting to see how all that works considering what we see transpiring this issue.
Totally loving the interior artwork too. As if what we’d been seeing weren’t enough Shane brings us that aforementioned meeting in a style that well hell to yeah people. Add that with the attention to detail, the overall intensity of what we see and the creative mind at work and this book goes above and beyond delivering what we expect anymore.
With the surprise cliffhanger ending and rising drama coming from every angle Shane has developed this into something not only high tech, high quality, high concept but highly addictive as well.