Tag Archives: kevin knipstein

The Lucky Devils #1 kicks off a devilish start

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The Lucky Devils #1

The Lucky Devils is a tale of two rebellious demons who decide to start a revolution in Hell—and the two ordinary, 20-something humans they’re going to manipulate to do it. A cheeky, satirical look at Good and Evil, The Lucky Devils explores Faustian bargains and temptation.

The Lucky Devils #1 is a lot of setup that mainly focuses on its human dupes. Written by Charles Soule, the comic does a great job of emphasizing whose these two are. What the comic does really well is make you connect with them. Taking us through their day, it’s hard to not feel bad for the two. They experience simple situations that many of have and it’s easy to not only relate, but connect with the characters.

But, there’s the concept of the comic and as we’re introduced to the two devils, we learn more about what we’ve read and it all becomes more clear. It also becomes impishly fun too. The Lucky Devils #1 gives us a little bit to breathe in a way, with the concept that all of our issues, our temptations, our conflicts, come from the devil on our shoulders who throw these hurdles out there as part of their work. Tying the concept of it all into a workplace takes the series to another level making it even more satirical, a twisted commentary on corporate culture and hitting one’s metrics.

Ryan Browne teams up with Soule again providing the art while the color is handled by Browne and Kevin Knipstein, and lettering by Christopher Crank. Browne and the team give us visuals of the sad sack and frustrating experiences of the two humans and when we travel to hell, small details stand out to flesh out this version of that world. It, like the story itself, has a bit of a sly aspect to it with lots of small details that add up to deliver an art style that has a slightly ominous tinge to it, a horror wink, without it falling too far into that space. Even this hell feels more like a major city than anything else.

The Lucky Devils #1 is a nice setup of what’s to come. There’s something sly about the concept that’ll make you want to come back and see where it goes next.

Story: Charles Soule Art: Ryan Browne
Color: Ryan Browne, Kevin Knipstein Letterer: Christopher Crank
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle

Review: Eight Billion Genies #1

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Eight Billion Genies #1

When you see the names Charles Soule and Ryan Browne on the cover of the comic, you can be pretty sure you’re going to be in for a treat. The duo have a long list of great reads under their names separately and together. Eight Billion Genies #1 kicks off their latest collaboration that explores an interesting “what if?” scenario. In this story, everyone on earth at the same time gets a genie with 1 wish. What would happen? What’s the impact? How insane would things get?

Written by Soule, Eight Billion Genies #1 is a solid start. Soule does what he does best, focus on the characters and then builds a story around them. The actual main concept of the story doesn’t begin for quite a while. Instead, the first issue sets up the initial characters we’ll focus on. We get their conflicts, their issues, a good sense of who they are. Mixed in with the comics’ overall concept, it gets the ideas of the reader going as far as what this opportunity means for each of them. We get to get to know these characters a little before things drop and get insane.

And it’s insane.

Soule and Browne deliver an over the top result as the wishes start flying. We get subtle things within the bar the story takes place but it’s like being hit in the face as the door to the bar opens and we see the impact of how much things have gotten out of hand. What’s also interesting is another visual Soule and Browne have included, a “body count”. We see the world’s population and the genie population and then the impact to that number as the wishes begin to flow. It’s an interesting concept that further challenges the reader as you begin to ponder what happened to all of these people.

Browne’s art style is perfect for this comic. With lettering by Chris Crank and color assists by Kevin Knipstein, the comic’s visuals go from 0 to 10 in the visual crazy quickly. As I said, the majority of the comic takes place in a bar with a few people. It’s calm, it’s “realistic”, it’s centered on a setting that anyone can experience. There’s nothing remarkable about all of that and the art keeps things grounded in a way. It helps focus on the characters. There’s some details here and there but it’s the characters that are center stage. But, once the wishing begins things spiral visually. You wait to see where the crazy is and it hits you. Browne easily shifts the comic from that grounded, every day feel, to Looney Tunes and back easily. It’ll be interesting to see how that’s handled as the comic progresses and the wishes get more out of hand.

Eight Billion Genies #1 is a great start to the series. It opens up a literal world of possibilities as we see how wishes from genies can get out of hand. While the world as a whole spirals, its focus on a few individuals keeps the comic focused and something the reader can relate to. As expected, it’s a great read and an absolute “buy”.

Story: Charles Soule Art: Ryan Browne
Color: Ryan Browne Letterer: Chris Crank Color Assists: Kevin Knipstein
Story: 9.0 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW