Matt always had an easygoing life. Girls liked him, his friends were more like family, and being a firefighter came naturally. Then the accident happened. Now, after the loss of his leg, Matt struggles to cope with his new handicap as he attempts to rebuild his shattered family and once budding career.

Written by Mario Candelaria with art by Karl Slominski, Ashes: A Firefighter’s Tale is a Kickstarter success (one which I backed) and has been released by Z2 Comics this week. The story focuses on a firefighter who after an accident has to persevere.

The comic has a lot of potential, and is not a bad read as an independent/small press Kickstarted graphic novel. But, for me the small issues added up.

The story is good, and touching at times. I’m not a firefighter (and don’t know any) so I can’t say how close to reality Candelaria’s story is to reality. I will say he touches a lot on a bunch in the graphic novel moving from a person dealing with a tragic on the job accident to the fallout in his personal and professional life. The story weaves through that in a nice way that feels real, which is great.

It’s the small details beyond the story that bothered me. The art is ok, but at times the character design is a bit rough and inconsistent. What really drew me nuts is lettering (and some dialogue) issues that haven’t been corrected in the time this was released to backers and now. There’s enough, and they’re noticeable enough, that it took me out of it at times.

Ashes though is a good read and if you enjoy a more family focused Backdraft, you’ll dig this graphic novel. It’s a bit rough at times, but a satisfying read, and a comic I was happy to back through Kickstarter to make sure it got made.

Story: Mario Candelaria Art: Karl Slominski
Story: 7.15 Art: 6.9 Overall: 7.1 Recommendation: Read

Z2 Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review