The Humans #1
Rise of the planet of the sons of anarchy
Writer: Keenan Marshall Keller
Artist: Tom Neely
Colorist: Kristina Collantes
Publisher: Image
I'm not a motorcycle guy myself, I'll admit I've always been kind of wary of them, their loud imposing mechanical energy. I'll admit too, though, that I'm weirdly drawn to the machismo and culture of motorcycle gangs despite my fear of the machines themselves. I'm sure most of us are, that's why Sons Of Anarchy is so popular, right? It's why I was equally terrified and enthralled when I read Hunter S. Thompson's book about The Hell's Angels, too. So, when this comic, The Humans, starring a cast of sordid and beastly (literally) ape bikers known as the Humans, was announced, I was drawn to it in the same way that I'm warily drawn to motorcycle culture as a whole, excited and full of fearful doubt, I rode head first into the book and found just about as much to like as I did to dislike.
Keller deftly introduces readers to what The Humans are about: partying, drugs, sex, rock and roll, hating their enemy gang The Skabbs and most of all, riding. He does this in quick succession as these apes mourn and celebrate the death of fellow gang member, Mojo. He doesn't however, really introduce us to The Humans themselves, we briefly meet the leader of the gang and poet of sorts but that's about it. There's not a lot of depth or intrigue. It's a strong, resonante introduction to the tone and ideas of the comic but not to the characters themselves and I tend to think properly introducing the characters is the most important task of any first issue.
Neely and Collantes do their best to keep up the pace. Tinged in 70's and maybe even 80's-90's biker culture, the book really gives off this dirty, tough and gritty vibe. The bikes themselves are cool, the classic gang imagery of riding into the sunset/rise is here. It's all here, really. Bikes, leather, denim, suns, drugs, guns, etc. The thing is, it doesn't have a lot of heart. It's hard to tell the characters apart and the over-sexualization of women and even the bikers themselves is kind of off-putting even if it does fit the story very well. It's cool imagery, but it kind of lacks in the same area the writing does, which is in establishing a concise intrigue or story that I want to care about.
I feel like, after reading this, that I get The Humans and I get what they're about. For life, till deth. But, I don't get WHY I'm supposed to care about them. Maybe that will come in issue two, I hope it does.
Writer: Keenan Marshall Keller
Artist: Tom Neely
Colorist: Kristina Collantes
Publisher: Image
I'm not a motorcycle guy myself, I'll admit I've always been kind of wary of them, their loud imposing mechanical energy. I'll admit too, though, that I'm weirdly drawn to the machismo and culture of motorcycle gangs despite my fear of the machines themselves. I'm sure most of us are, that's why Sons Of Anarchy is so popular, right? It's why I was equally terrified and enthralled when I read Hunter S. Thompson's book about The Hell's Angels, too. So, when this comic, The Humans, starring a cast of sordid and beastly (literally) ape bikers known as the Humans, was announced, I was drawn to it in the same way that I'm warily drawn to motorcycle culture as a whole, excited and full of fearful doubt, I rode head first into the book and found just about as much to like as I did to dislike.
Keller deftly introduces readers to what The Humans are about: partying, drugs, sex, rock and roll, hating their enemy gang The Skabbs and most of all, riding. He does this in quick succession as these apes mourn and celebrate the death of fellow gang member, Mojo. He doesn't however, really introduce us to The Humans themselves, we briefly meet the leader of the gang and poet of sorts but that's about it. There's not a lot of depth or intrigue. It's a strong, resonante introduction to the tone and ideas of the comic but not to the characters themselves and I tend to think properly introducing the characters is the most important task of any first issue.
Neely and Collantes do their best to keep up the pace. Tinged in 70's and maybe even 80's-90's biker culture, the book really gives off this dirty, tough and gritty vibe. The bikes themselves are cool, the classic gang imagery of riding into the sunset/rise is here. It's all here, really. Bikes, leather, denim, suns, drugs, guns, etc. The thing is, it doesn't have a lot of heart. It's hard to tell the characters apart and the over-sexualization of women and even the bikers themselves is kind of off-putting even if it does fit the story very well. It's cool imagery, but it kind of lacks in the same area the writing does, which is in establishing a concise intrigue or story that I want to care about.
I feel like, after reading this, that I get The Humans and I get what they're about. For life, till deth. But, I don't get WHY I'm supposed to care about them. Maybe that will come in issue two, I hope it does.
A Look Inside
