Top Cow Productions 2017
Written by Bryan Edward Hill
Illustrated by Rhoald Marcellius
Coloured by Sakti Yuwono
Lettered by Imam Eko & Jaka Ady
This year Top Cow really stepped up to the plate and started bringing us new stories and new creators alongside some of their established ones. The result has been a plethora of wonderfully solid, interesting and visually stunning work. Bonehead sneaks into 2017 with the last of the new releases for the year and what do they say about the best for last?
Right off the bat I have to talk about the interior artwork here. It really is the first thing we see and it determines whether or not we’re going to keep looking at a book. So with rather bright colours and some very interesting imagery there’s an immediate connection to some readers that says 1980’s.
That isn’t a bad thing because big bold colours is what comics kind of were and why people gravitated towards their allure. Then we really get see Rhoald’s attention to detail which if you know me is incredibly important and he that he makes almost seems secondary is amazing. The level of talent I see in these pages it mindbogglingly good. The use of page layouts, the angle and perspective used in the panels all of it demonstrate such a beautiful and strong eye for storytelling. Then the creativity and imagination on dis-play and that whole Japanese Manga appeal, like this is an Anime film only amped up or on adrenaline yeah it’s really takes you there.
So “56” has a mask on and he doesn’t talk much, whether he can or can’t is kind of undetermined and we kind of see emoji style responses from him and while I imagine that will happen it keeps a mystery surrounding him. His talent however is on display and he’s being put to a test by Aleph. Then these folks open up on us and suddenly we’re seeing what 56 can do, I guess we can call him Bonehead. It is very much like this combination of Parkour and Gymnastics only set high above the city streets. It is breathtaking, exciting and juices up the adrenaline while giving us a look at Bonehead and what he enjoys but still keeping everything about him hidden.
We are also introduced to a variety of characters and among them are Gladiators and Gladiators Headquarters where we see Bonehead being noticed, being given and identification and a slew of offences levelled against him. Nice to see in this version of a future that corporations are still the enemy of man who think they can dictate the way people live. Their enforcers are something we get a look here as well. The Gladiator is kind of like a law enforcement agent only he’s got gear to use as weaponry. Non-Lethal as far as we know and it doesn’t appear cybernetic in nature so it doesn’t augment the body in any way. It’s intriguing idea because it kind of makes look a little warhammer-ish.
Also in this issue are two rival gangs. Cobwebs and Ravetors. This is also when we get our first piece of information on who Bonehead could be or come from. So now that interest or intrigue factor rises through the roof. Also while Bonehead may have made enemies out of the Ravetors he’s made a friend in Pumpkinjuice, that’s his tag and well yeah he screams Halloween to me. So with a new friend and new enemies Bonehead seems to branching out much to his partners chagrin.
So basically what we have here are elements of the present pushed into a future direction that combines a few things and suddenly we have this playground full of folks. Street gangs vying for territory, the Gladiator people who police the streets and Bonehead. We have so little information on Bonehead and what he’s about and why he’s here. However the intrigue and mystery surrounding him is guaranteed to keep us coming back. This is an explosive first issue that shows us a world on the verge of chaos and that’s one train wreck we will definitely need to rubberneck.