Ahoy Comics 2018
Written by Tom Peyer
Pencilled by Jamal Igle
Inked by Juan Castro
Coloured by Andy Troy
Lettered by Rob Steen
On one world, Dragonflyman and his sidekick Stinger enjoy a life of adventure. On another Earth, the Dragonfly hunts criminal parasites like a lethal exterminator. But what happens when these two heroes change places?
So much joy to be had here and yes it is very very much something that is both familiar and yet that takes nothing away from the whole thing. I actually think the familiarity that this centres around is what makes it so gosh darned good. There are a myriad of things about this that I found surprising and delightful and completely unpredictable. I like the idea behind the book and it really does beautifully showcase what was and what is and just how different it really is. I miss the old days as the new stuff seems to be very very caught up in this age of darkness that no one seems to want to leave. This is a stark reminder of how fun comics can be.
I like the way that this is structured it has this whole flow about it that while switching tones doesn’t feel disjointed in the least. It does feel like it’s got this whole authenticity to it so that as the story progresses we get to see and learn what is going on. This is greatly assisted by the characterisation and how utterly opposite the characters end up being. The way Tom is writing this is superb and how easily he can slip right back into this world of super heroics and making them come to life for us.
While they are based on established characters and we can see that I still feel like there is some nice originality going on here. The idea here of two earths at two different points in their timelines that show some the future and others the past and not quite syncing up with one another, they are parallel earths after all, has this whole feeling of potential to me. The pacing for this is amazing as well and the fact that we see what’s happening here without background information or long explanations as to these worlds so essentially jumping right into the deep end is something I find completely beneficial. So does the fact that by the end of the first issue we see something happen that others would likely drag out longer than necessary.
Jamal, Juan and Andy do some amazing work on the interiors here. I absolutely adore the way that both worlds have this different aesthetic to them. Jamal’s ability to use varying weights of the linework to bring forth this kind of attention to detail is why I am a lifelong fan of his. He’s got a great crew behind him too that take his lead and bring it fully to life. The brightness and almost kitsch of Earth Alpha not only demonstrates the linework and how it’s used but also the colouring and how essential that is to mood and making you feel. The utilisation of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows of such a stellar eye for storytelling. We do get to see backgrounds utilised well here also help to enhance the story, the moment and the worlds we see.
I haven’t felt this excited about a new series in a long time. While this showcases new and old storytelling ideas there is still something about it that promises hope which is something that has been missing far too long. This is a combination of amazing storytellers and an amazing story concept coming together to bring us to a place where we can have fun and find joy in comics again.