Image Comics 2015
Created, Written & Illustrated by Jason Shawn Alexander
Coloured by Luis NCT
Okay so I read this and it is interesting and seems to be set in a not too distant future. The main character has an arm made of metal and seems to have more than a few problems in her head that make sleep difficult and her coping mechanism is alcohol and drugs. I’m not sure what she does but it seems somewhat dangerous and possibly involves killing at some point i’m not sure. Yet while on the phone with B.,the man with her assignments, something weird happens to her and things get all out of whack. So basically this is a badass version of some SyFy movie that we all love to watch!
She’s sees someone out in the hall outside her door. Not afraid she goes off to investigate. What she sees and experiences from there however isn’t what she nor I was expecting and suddenly this book takes on a whole new aspect. I’ll say this Jason isn’t afraid to go there with this story or the artwork well maybe a little on the safe side from showing more acts and not really full frontal. However this whole encounter kind of had me tripping balls that it was so weird. Oddly fascinating and it makes you wonder how it all plays into the story.
Alright so we see her on a job and it goes well smoothly enough but what she’s able to do isn’t easily explained nor is what her business is so i’m looking forward to learning a few things about Corinne and how she manages to do what she does. We meet what I consider a supporting cast here and Hank and the bartender Tim, she has a tail by the way, both of whom seem to be somewhat important to her life. Plus the easy banter between them is nice to see and actually reveals a nice bit of characterization.
After Corinne gets what she needs from her mark a rather bulky clunky robot come into the bar and is looking for that guy, who was accidentally killed by it’s grand entrance. What she’s able to do to diffuse the situation really is one of those things that sets her apart from the crowd and keeps her interesting. I like that these mechanical parts, Corinne’s arm and the robot, are so clunky and don’t look anything like human parts or bodies there’s something about that which takes me back to before we had such big advancements in the area. It also just feels right ya know Jason makes this story feel like it’s modern science fiction at it’s best.
The end is kind of freaky okay well not kind of because it really is freaky. Now i’m not sure what this big bad is trying to do or if he’s just a businessman with no moral compass but I have a feeling that he’s the dude hiring Corinne. It also very much feels like what they are doing is responsible for what we saw on her rooftop early on but that could be coincidence or just her mind either preparing her for what’s to come or it’s a direct result i’m not sure yet. Either way it’s makes for some gripping reading. Suddenly you’ve gone from okay I would to know more about A, B and C and then suddenly it’s like you found a puzzle piece and your focus shifts and you forget about A,B and C and instead you are acting like a detective.
Jason has really impressed me here. The concept, story, writing/characterization and interior artwork are super solid keep the reader invested in what’s happening and take you on this weird journey you don’t expect to take. This has the tone and feel of a classic modern science fiction story and it’s the kind that resonates with readers and reminds us that such strong powerful and interesting storytelling still exists. Since this is his baby the art and words go together just the way he wants them to tell most effectively tell the story so you really aren’t missing a thing!