IDW Publishing 2016
Written by Amit Chauhan
Illustrated by Eli Powell
Coloured by K. Michael Russell
Lettered by Marshall Dillon
I love being surprised I mean I get why people use Previews it’s a handy tool to know what’s coming out and to order it from your local shoppe or service. But still there’s something to be said for reading a book you know nothing about and seeing the kind of work that went into it that makes you excited and giddy like school kid finding a crush. That unexpected sense of joy and pleasure can’t be beat and that’s what I found when I read this first issue. From the title I wasn’t sure if this would be manga or some kind of stylized book and what it is well it’s kind of amazing.
The character introductions and the characterisation that go along with it are surprising and interesting. Seriously the opening pages were nothing like I was expecting and suddenly at some point in the story understood more than was probably thought about. She’s essential to the story sure but Ochita has a story that goes further than we’re being let see. Everything happens for a reason right and not just because you’re high as a kite or more lit than a Christmas Tree. While her introduction raised my eyebrows as we get further into the story I started to wonder more about her, her background and the possibilities of why she does what she does. That my friends is what good, strong, solid storytelling makes you do think beyond what you see and what is presented and use your imagination to make connections that may or may not be there.
Eli and K. Michael do some very interesting and inspired work on the interiors here. There’s this whole conceptual thing going on with the right use of colour and detail that make this familiar and yet unique. Oh yes and right on the car windshield moment yeah that is something that will stick with me for multiple reasons. I love the use of the page layouts with the angles, perspective and the use of the backgrounds as they really help bring the bigger picture to life with every use. The creativity and imagination that we see here as well are nicely imagined and brought to life where the create the perfect mood for that moment.
I have to say the way this whole issue plays out and with our two main characters and then the party that we meet as well getting involved it sets up something that will be not only unexpected but damn well interesting. I mean when you see how it all comes together and realise both the madness and potential of the things we see here you’ll understand how creatively genius this truly is.
Also we’re getting to see Yakuza alongside some modern day thievery and a junkie with special gifts not to mention the supernatural world of a culture we know next to nothing about. It doesn’t get more interesting and eclectic than what is being brought to us here. I found myself drawn in beautifully by the way everything is presented, the pacing the characterisation, the story and the interiors conspiring to create something fresh.