Sunday, 20 September 2015

In Review: APP-1 #1


App-1
#1 by by Jim Alexander (Samurai Jack, Penguins of Madagascar) Eva Holder (Bad Tooth), Conor Boyle (Dead Roots) & Iella (The Ugly Duckling) underneath a cover by Hal Lauren.


Publisher stuff: "Planet Jimbot has a new book out; a super-hero comic with a difference. I know you've probably heard this a thousand times before, but...

In a world overrun by terror, despair and monsters, 3 kids cling on to the belief that there once existed a champion of good, a super-hero now gone and all but forgotten. Despite the dangers and sheer hopelessness of the situation, they decide to go in search of the super-hero known as App-1.

App-1 is a fun, family friendly series with I'd say - in terms of content - Dr Who sensibilities. The reader is taken through three different time periods (the Present, the Recent Past and the Past). Discover how all three stories are connected as we ask the question, how can a world protected by a super-hero at the height of his powers end up being taken over by monsters known as Bogeys?!"


FQP Review

The Good: An honest to goodness ‘all ages’ comic that does exactly what it says on the tin. There are three main story strands here, and all of them contribute to a feeling of a greater whole. Mystery abounds and the world very much needs to be saved. The stories all work well and are immediately accessible. Conor Boyle, in particular, does an outstanding job with the limited page count for his stories.

The Bad: As an anthology editor, I am always judging scripts by an artists strengths or weaknesses to try and help the script become the best version of itself I can. For Planet Jimbot I don’t know who takes that role, but I assume it is Jim Alexander himself. Of the artists on display in this first issue I think they all suit the style of tale they present, but of the three, Iella is the weakest link. Her work has a ‘raw’ quality that in places almost looks unfinished and lacking in finesse. A swift ‘Google’ reveals that Iella is a far from inexperienced artist so I’m hoping that this is merely a result of Iella moving into sequential art from illustration.


The Verdict: Fun, Capable and engaging. App-1 is a cracking addition to the Planet Jimbot stable and a title I will be eagerly waiting for the next chapter of.

Art By Conor Boyle

App-1 #1 is available at the Planet Jimbot shop:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/PlanetJimbot


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