Markosia Enterprises 2018
Written by Joe R. Khachadourian & Ruairi Coleman
Illustrated by Ruairi Coleman
Coloured by Timothy Brown & Walter Pereyra
Lettered by Ruairi Coleman & Joe R. Khachadourian
Meet professional stuntman Sami "Sam" Nasser: Work is dwindling, his marriage is in limbo, and he's trying to save his best friend from self-destruction. Just as he's getting a handle on things, Sam's publicly accused of being the alter ego of Beatdown--his hometown's notorious and unhinged vigilante--by the nefarious Dominus Smith, Beatdown's own arch-nemesis!
There is a reason I love comic books, aside from the escapism aspect of it, which why I also read novels, there is this whole idea of someone pouring their heart and soul into a story that makes the reader feel. Joe and Ruairi are so involved in every aspect of this book and you see and feel how much this means to them and it makes reading this that much more appealing. From the concept, premise and execution this is a purely fun unexpected treat, thanks for sending this for me to review!
I like the structure of the book here as we open with the issues ending, kind of, and then backtrack through Sami’s life hitting the highlights here and there. Also we see encounters between Beatdown and Dominus Smith along the way. What I love about that is that because they put the idea out there that Sami is Beatdown as a reader I kept looking for clues that would confirm it. So they way it’s being told engages the readers mind and makes them something of an active participant which is extremely impressive.
So not only does the book have a really nice flow to it but the characterisation is very much on point as well. So we mainly see Sami but when he’s with his wife, separated not divorced, she is fleshed out beautifully and his best friend yeah he too has the same treatment and I'm with Tracy when it comes to Mason. Rounding out the people who make up his world is Alyssa their daughter and she’s twelve so ya know there’s gonna be something with involved in all this so I look forward to either seeing what that is or being proven wrong. See again I am speculating on things another sign of excellent writing.
I am very much enjoying the interiors here. There is some very solid linework happening and the all important faces are really well rendered. A little gentrified maybe but no one should be a stereotype I suppose. I like how page layouts are utilised and how we see the angles, perspective and the focal point the eye is supposed to see first. Seeing him as the sheriff in action as a stuntman yeah that left an impression as does the opening scene. I am going to say this however you really need to push yourself and include more backgrounds. Backgrounds expand the story give us a sense of scope and if done right make the scene helpful with characterisation and making the city or where ever they are a character in and of itself. We switch from having them to not and the empty ones feel empty they bring no emotion, boring because when see them wow the book comes alive more.
I am extremely impressed with this book it’s fun, interesting has the perfect balance of humour and superhero stuff to balance each other out. The premise that the world now thinks that Sami is Beatdown, who himself is kind of pissed and doesn’t know who Sami is either, well think of this as a serious as a heart attack comedic turn of events. If your shoppe doesn’t stock a lot of independent books you’ll ask for this one so they can order you a copy, which I think you should do ASAP because this is on par with Greatest American Hero if that had been taken seriously.