Tag Archives: edward laroche

Almighty #1 is a frustrating start

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Almighty #1

The year is 2098 in a Third World America ravaged by economic collapse, anarcho-warfare, and a mysterious environmental disaster contained behind a massive wall. A girl has been abducted, and a killer has been hired to find her and bring her home. That setup for Almighty #1 sounds like an intriguing read but unfortunately the debut falls a bit short of being truly exciting and interesting.

Written by Edward Laroche, Almighty #1 delivers a pretty typical post-apocalyptic story. It hints at the world and the history which is far more interesting than the simple rescue and chase presented. A girl is being held by horrible people and a mysterious individual rescues her and takes her on the run from more horrible people who want her back. It’s not complicated and it’s something we’ve seen many times over with little to make it stand out. It doesn’t make it bad at all, it’s just very bland and typical missing out on chances to stand out from the pack.

Where Almighty #1 does stand out is its mysteries. We don’t know much about this abducted girl and why she’s wanted back nor her rescuer. There might lie the more interesting aspects of the comic, but as presented, it’s a tease and a dance than the clear focus of the series to come.

Laroche’s art though stands out. With Brad Simpson on color and lettering by Jaymes Reed, Almighty #1 features interesting characters and design choices that each tell a bit of the story. They’re hints at a world that’s far more interesting than the story presented. The rescuer Fale’s eyes and tattoos hint at a much deeper story and background than simple bounty hunter hired to bring an abducted person home. Small details like a car traveling down a highway tell so much about the world. There’s clearly a lot of thought put into all of that and it does stand out. It’s a world with a story that I want to learn more about.

Almighty #1 isn’t a bad debut, it’s just a teaser of what’s to come and it’s pretty standard. People are on the run and people are pursuing them. Beyond that, it’s a thin for plot but there’s potential here. Laroche has teased an intriguing world and hopefully that exploration delivers an interesting read. As is though, it’s a story we’ve seen far too many times.

Story: Edward Laroche Art: Edward Laroche
Color: Brad Simpson Letterer: Jaymes Reed
Story: 7.0 Art: 8.1 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Review: The Warning #1

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An enormous machine slowly materializes in a major West Coast city. Who sent it-and why-is a mystery, understood only by the malevolent beings gliding silently toward Earth through the inky vastness of space. In response, a multinational combat brigade called Gladiator Two-Six is deployed. Outfitted with next-generation military science and weapons, they’re tasked with stopping any extraterrestrial threat that emerges.

You know the 15 minutes before the opening credits of a film that sets up the action that’s about to rock for 2 hours? That’s the first issue of The Warning, Edward Laroche‘s new series which feels like a mix of every alien invasion film and Call of Duty.

That combination isn’t bad at all but we’ve seen in the last five years the alien invasion storyline can be so much more than aliens, crack squad of military, and presumably shooting. That doesn’t mean this has to be that but from this first issue, this is more Michael Bay than anything else… so far.

Laroche delivers the set up but there’s a chance of what’s presented isn’t all the facts and we may get a story that’s a bit more nuanced than aliens bad, shoot.

Laroche also delivers the art with Brad Simpson on color and Jaymes Reed handling the lettering. The art style is interesting a feels a bit like a cell-shaded video game. It’s a style you don’t see a lot in comics and stands out for that. The characters, though unique, are generally forgettable. The combination of art and story doesn’t make anyone stand out so far and five minutes after reading the first issue the looks and names are generally forgotten.

The Warning #1 isn’t bad. There’s something kind of fun about it in the popcorn movie sort of way. But, it’s generally generic at this point with elements we’ve seen over and over. Might that change? Sure, but as a first issue, it’s an entertaining paint by numbers experience.

Story: Edward Laroche Art: Edward Laroche
Color: Brad Simpson Letterer: Jaymes Reed Editor: Donald Hodges
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.25 Recommendation: Read

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

The Warning Injects Poignancy into High-Concept Military Sci-Fi Action

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Writer/artist Edward Laroche will launch an all-new military science fiction series, The Warning, this November from Image Comics.

An enormous machine is slowly materializing in a major metropolitan city on the West Coast. No one knows who sent it, or why—except, perhaps, for the malevolent beings gliding silently through the inky vastness of space toward Earth.

In response, a joint multinational combat brigade called Gladiator Two-Six is deployed. Outfitted with next-generation military science and weapons, they’re tasked with stopping any extraterrestrial threat that emerges.

The Warning #1 will hit stores on Wednesday, November 28th.