Evoluzione Publishing 2016
Written by Joshua Metzger
Illustrated by Grzegroz Pawlak
Coloured by Andrea Celestini
Lettered by E.T. Dollman
Last issue we were introduced to Lilly and Gil. She a street walker who was being attacked who was saved by Gil, just out of prison and considered a reformed supervillain. The two started an unlikely friendship from the incident. Meanwhile one of Gil’s old partners came to him with a job proposition and considering the lousy pay he was making going straight he was thinking of taking it. We also meet Mongrel the superhero who wants Gil and is keeping him in his sights.
I like the storytelling here the way that Joshua is fleshing out these characters is nicely done. We open with someone looking for Lilly and approaching her pimp saying he knows where she is. Though after getting cut up and attacked like she was she’s out of the game. Still this unknown takes the pimp and follow her to Gil’s then watch them have dinner. There’s something sinister about this short pudgy man you can see that in the way he’s single minded about Lilly and through the artwork.
This issue we learn origins, both Gil’s and Lilly’s. While hers is something you’ll hear from any girl walking the street his however is the real “meat” of the story. We learn how he came to be a villain and why Mongrel hates him so much. It’s good strong stuff actually and I love the way that Joshua gets you inside the characters so you feel for them, empathise and like them.
Not to worry for those who like action because the story is littered with it through flashbacks and surprise appearance by Mongrel as he tries to scare Lilly away from Gil. That scene is lovely and extremely well played out. Full of characterisation and life and from a point of view that you find is true.
The interiors are nicely done as well. The way the page layouts are used through angles and perspective control the flow of the story nicely. There are a fair amount of backgrounds in use and while i’d love more I do like what i’m seeing here. The use of the night to create shadows and darkness to bring the sinister aspects out are handled extremely well. Also we see Lilly so don’t be afraid to show Gil as well it’s time that we saw as much of him as we’d see of her.
There are surprises and twists here that I hadn’t seen coming. Joshua’s got this down pat and you can tell that this is a project he cares about and is extremely vested in. That kind of passion shows through in what we read here.
Evoluzione presents another strong case why you should be reading these small/indie/self-published companies. It’s very well done from concept through execution and the interiors are just as nice. This reminds me why I fell in love with comics to begins with.