Three kids not connected, beyond a name iteration of Sam, discover a mysterious orb. The three kids are bound together after touching the orb, hearing each other’s thoughts. Alienated #1 kicks off a new series that evokes IT, Stand By Me, and ET. It’s also really good finding its own engaging voice.
There’s a familiarity to Alienated #1. Writer Simon Spurrier might be counting on it to deliver something new a different. That familiarity does catch the reader off guard here and there. Spurrier throws in moments that are unexpected. Expected moments are just different enough.
What Alienated #1 does really well is allow us to understand who these three kids are. By the end of the first issue, we have a good sense of their personalities and where they come from. Not every detail about the characters is laid on the table. There’s just enough left lingering to make each interesting. We get a sense of personalities but not necessarily the experiences that got them where they are.
There’s also a good sense of humor throughout the comic. Spurrier delivers laughs as the situation gets weirder and weirder. But, that humor is a way to get the reader’s defenses down for the end which changes the tone of the comic shifting it from sci-fi to a tinge of horror.
The art by Chris Wildgoose helps with all of that. There’s an innocence and safe aspect to the comic in its style. It belies what’s to come and where the comic ends. Much like Spurrier’s writing, the art feels like it has a goal to rope-a-dope the reader in a way. Delivering cute when there’s something more nefarious. The color by André May helps to deliver a slightly bright palette to put the reader at ease. The lettering by Jim Campbell stands out. The lettering really emphasizes and drives speech patterns and dialogue. Lettering styles differentiate indicating if something is muttered/said quietly or said in a normal speech pattern. It’s an interesting use of lettering that really makes the dialogue and interactions stand out.
Alienated #1 is a solid start to the series that has us immediately wanting to come back to see more. Each character is interesting in their own way and where things end up should be fascinating to see their reactions. A fantastic debut that’s definitely worth checking out.
Story: Simon Spurrier Art: Chris Wildgoose
Color: André May Letterer: Jim Campbell
Story: 8.35 Art: 8.35 Overall: 8.35 Recommendation: Buy
BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
