Zenescope Entertainment 2019
Written by Ralph Tedesco
Illustrated by Oliver Borges
Coloured by Leonardo Paciarotti
Lettered by Carlos M. Mangual
PART ONE OF FIVE
In Ether, the criminal beings who rule the underbelly of this unique world are kept in check by bounty hunters and trackers who look to take them out. But when a killer who knows no bounds rises up, will there be anyone skilled enough and smart enough to stop him?
At first I was alright this has this weird kind old school Private Dick narration feel while being set in this outer space environment. I kept well this is different and I like it. I think much of the influence that took from the story was both visual and written and while the narration was one style the visuals led me to this kind of cyberpunk 80's retro throwback mixed with a bit of Serenity. The whole experience is a tad on the surreal side and I found myself being more and more attracted to the story with each turn of the page.
The story & plot development that we see and the characters are introduced and information is released is extremely well done. I really like the way that Ralph has progressed as a writer, he is definitely showing some mad skill and talent here. The character development is interesting as well and I like how we see the personalities emerging and not just giving us a first look or impression of them but establishing a base to grow from. With the addition of the pacing to the mix things get even more interesting to see and how the twists, turns and one major revelation play into how we view the story. The ebb & flow that is created through all of this is really well done and I gotta say I was over the moon impressed by the last page.
I really cannot stress enough just how impressed I am with this issue. I mean I knew I was going to like it but I didn't know it was going to jump right into must read, cannot live without status. I love a good genre mash-up as much as the next guy but this takes the cake and it doesn't look like it's going to stop doing that anytime soon if what we see developing has anything to do with it. I do not know what inspired this story but Ralph keep finding reason to write these outside the box books and even more so when they've have seemingly nothing to do with the Grimm side and everything to do with pure simple stellar storytelling.
The interiors here are disgustingly good. The linework and how we see the varying weights being manipulated to create this level and quality of detail is stupendous. Everything has a purpose and a reason and the way that we see the composition inside the panels utilising backgrounds and foregrounds to create this depth perception and scale is marvellously rendered. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show this superb eye for storytelling. The colour work here as well is just a joy to behold. There is some utterly dynamic and well executed gradation effects. That we see the base colour and the various hues and tones within that to create shading and shadows is beautifully done.
This is another of those books that showcase how Zenescope has matured as a company. The quality and standard of storytelling that we are seeing here through the writing and the interior artwork continues to be some of the most inventive around. If you haven't been keeping your eye of what they've been doing well it is high time you started and start by picking this book up.