Avery Sakai and Nico Xing used to be a couple before Nico moved away to attend Bridleham Academy. Hoping to get her girlfriend back, Avery applies to the school and gets in. But while separated, Nico decided to get involved in the Seismic Ironclash Roulette, a motorcycle jousting club. Faced with the possibility of reuniting with her love, Avery must survive the action and chaos-filled arena outside of her new school life. Acclaimed writer and artist Fell Hound crafts a high-octane queer love story filled with plenty of anime action and drama in S.I.R. #1.

In the first issue, Hound introduces us to the thrilling world of Seismic Ironclash Roulette, where the only thing worse than being knocked off could be falling in love again. With its teenage-centered cast, emotions carry as much weight as a joust hit where Avery must juggle her new life while rekindling her love with Nico and becoming a part of the school’s extracurricular activity. More impressively lies in the authenticity of the characters and their relationships and feelings, which makes the embers of the teenage romance feel honest. Wearing her anime and manga influences on her sleeve, the usage of these touchstones sells the heightened emotions and grounds the characters and relationships in the action-packed premise. Like any great action story, you initially come for the excitement, but you stay and become invested in the emotional narrative of the characters. You want to see Avery succeed in the ring as much as she reunites with Nico.

Hound also establishes Avery as an engaging protagonist that readers easily invest in and fall in love with. Although not given her complete backstory, Avery exists at a crossroads in her life where Nico is the only person she has left, and she needs to decide what to do with her future. Nico also has a similar position where she finds her place within Seismic Ironclash Roulette, but it is challenged when Avery appears at the school. The two characters are intertwined not only because of their shared romantic history but also because of where they are in life. Hound draws upon the relatable frustration and uncertainty we experienced as teenagers when we grasped what we could for stability. Although we might not have all done motorcycle jousting, we can remember deciding what to do with our lives and who we might want to spend it with.

Hound’s art with Eleonora Bruni’s colors brings a vibrant tone to the comic that conveys youthful romance and energetic action. Balancing tender emotional moments with adrenaline-filled motorcycle jousting makes the visuals of S.I.R. #1 into a beautiful and unique alchemy. She also crafts the fascinating setting of Bridleham Academy with its mix of medieval history and motorsports culture. Becca Carey’s lettering of the dialogue and prose make it a solid first issue. 

Alternating between engrossing high school romance and non-stop thrills, Hound delivers an exciting first issue in S.I.R. #1. Not only do Avery and Nico need to navigate their possible future relationship, but Avery also needs to learn how to survive in Seismic Ironclash Roulette. I perfectly vibed with the world of Bridleham Academy, and I need to know what will happen next. Indeed, no other book is like it out on the shelves and feels like its own perfect story. I highly recommend picking it up and experiencing the revving engine of romance.

Story and Art Fell Hound Color: Eleonora Bruni Letterer: Becca Carey
Story: 9.7 Art: 9.7 Overall: 9.7 Recommendation: Read

BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle