SLOTS #1

by Doug Warren on October 04, 2017

Creator, Writer, Artist: Dan Panosian
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Publisher: Image Comics

The thing I love about Image Comics is that month after month I can pick up the first issue of a new title, open it, and honestly say I’ve never seen a comic book like this before.

In the first chapter, we meet Stanley, who despite his charms, is a certified d-bag. But, he’s made a promise to himself; he’s got to change his ways. Chapter two takes us to Las Vegas, where the further he gets, the more we realize he’s falling into his old life. The guy is sleazy, for sure, but the reader can’t help but like him. The man exudes confidence and has a magnetic personality.

Now, Stanley wants to make some honest green, and as a middle-aged man well past his prime, he walks back into boxing gym. There is no way this is going turn out well for him. But, we’re going to have to wait until the second issue to see how low he goes.

The artwork is amazing. The characters’ faces are steeped with emotion. All of the drawings look fluid and natural, nothing stiff or rigid. The color palette did get me at first. I thought the book was set in the 1980s until Stanley pulled out a cell phone. But, then it all started to make sense. And the art was interesting and different, down to the minute details like the warning label on the cigarette packet and the unique, lineless speech bubbles.

I was hesitant to give this book the rating that I did because I try to use the 10s sparingly. But, I read this comic twice, and there is absolutely nothing I can count off for. It’s flawless. Probably the best first issue of a book I’ve read. 
 

Our Score:

10/10

A Look Inside