Cave Pictures Publishing 2019
Written by Jason Brubaker
Co-Written by Rick Rekedal
Illustrated by Jason Brubaker
Coloured by Jason Brubaker & Adrian Amarteifio
Lettered by Simon Bowland
SYNOPSIS:
In the middle of science class, Tripp sees something truly strange outside the window: a Verm, a viral worm recently unleashed by Blackhat in his favorite video game. As the virtual and real worlds merge, Tripp manipulates the Shapes that make up the universe to battle the Verm. Joined by Zeno and bully-turned-buddy Chaz, Tripp searches for answers while trying to stay out of trouble with the principal.
I was so surprised when I read the first issue of this and in such a good way. Rick created such a marvellous idea and concept here and the way it is being executed has been utterly sensational. This is in a unique position where adults can relate in a fashion since they grew up with old school Atari and video game arcades and their kids well they don't leave the house they are glued to their video games so for the same yet different reasons this is an all-ages title that can be a bonding experience between the generations not to mention it is perfect for that device free table.
The way that this is being told is sensational! The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold and how the reader learns information is really presented nicely. There are moments throughout the story that really take you by surprise and with how the utilisation of technology can come to Tripp's aid. I really found myself kind of thinking hmm okay I hadn't thought of things going in this direction. Which of course shows how good the writing is. The character development continues to show how the kids grow, change and evolve through how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they find themselves in. The pacing we see is superb and as it takes through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way helps to create this entertaining ebb & flow to the book.
I am really impressed with this book. It has a surprisingly familiar concept but the way it's being told and executed is what makes it completely unique and original. While films like War Games or the Last Starfighter paved the way I have to say that this incredibly well suited for the times we live in.
I am also impressed with the interior artwork here. Since it is an all-ages title I can let certain things go and yet the way we see faces and facial expressions here is absolutely delightful. They add that extra layer of characterisation that words alone can't do. I am super fan of the backgrounds we see being utilised and how they work within the composition inside the panels. We get some great depth perception, scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the book. The creativity and imagination we see is stupendous and while I have no idea what's going on but the amount of tardigrades I have seen in comics lately makes me so happy, and if that isn't some kind of version of one then whoopsie. The colour work we see here is also rendered really well. The colour blocking we see is phenomenal and the way that the various hues and tones within any given colour are utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is rather impressive.
I am enjoying that I cannot predict what's going to happen fully, I mean sure we're being led to a few conclusions but other times what we see is surprising. So that we are pretty much kept on our toes for what comes next is incredibly enjoyable. Cave Pictures Publishing is quietly, maybe too quietly, putting out some very strong and entertaining books and you should be looking for them or having them ordered.