Amigo Comics 2019
Created & Written by Massimo Rosi
Illustrated by Luca Panciroli
Coloured by Pamela Poggiali
Lettered by Monkey Typers
We Are One
The alien invaders have learned to evolve, to hide among us, and to attack us in new ways. This fuels an atmosphere of terror and paranoia. Meanwhile, a new Golem arrives, attacking Japan. Ryan must return to the Emerald Tyrant to stop this new giant monster.
This story is utterly amazing to me. Massimo manages to introduce a new arc in the story in the midst of what's already happening and that adds to the rich layering we have seen since the start. Just when we think that the intensity of what is happening couldn't be heightened any further he went all “hold my beer” on us. It has been a long time since a voice like this has managed to excite me so much just by seeing his name on a project. The more we see out of him the better the stories seem to be constructed and to see the structure of the story, the book, in such a way as this reminds me off a box office thriller only better.
The way this story is being told is utterly brilliant. The story & plot development we see through how the sequence of events unfold and how the reader learns information is presented perfectly. Through flashbacks and events that unfold we see how the story continues to grow, change and evolve like it's a life-form of it's own. The character development we see is sensational! Those integral flashbacks, the dialogue and the situations and circumstances they find themselves in keep furthering who they are and becoming with such aplomb. The pacing is perfect and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way it creates this adrenaline fuelled and emotionally charged ebb & flow to the book.
The action thriller genre has included projects like Pacific Rim and they've been okay, even fun to watch. With the whole science fiction aspect being fully embraced and integrated into the story like it is changes the entire feel of the story. We've gone from oh look a giant mecha fighting monsters to an infection that evolves and changes as it absorbs cities and people. Seeing what we do here flips the whole genre on it's side and surpasses anything else out there.
The interiors are absolutely stunning! The linework is superb and how we see the varying weights being utilised to showcase the attention to detail we see is astonishingly emotional. I say this because that first two-page spread and how you see what you see it leaves that indelible mark upon and there's no escaping it. The fact that so many of the faces are familiar and how their facial expressions and body language are shown further the characterisation in ways that words alone cannot do. That backgrounds are utilised as they are and how they work within the composition inside the panels to bring us this depth perception, scale and overall sense of size and scope to the book is bloody marvellous. The utilisation of the page layout and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show this phenomenal eye for storytelling. The colour work here is divine. From how light sources are utilised and how the various hues and tones within the colours are able to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is inspiring.
Every time we think we've got a handle on the story something else comes along and says HA fooled ya! I know this is a four issue run but seriously with everything we are seeing and all the branches in the layering of the story this could run for years and I would be there single issue that came out. In other words I want this to keep going, I want more as this is the kind of storytelling that feature films and soap operas could dream of having. My friends, allies and frenemies you NEED to get this as it stands alone as something truly special.