Brik #1

Written by: Adam Glass & Michael Benson
Illustrated by: Harwinder Singh
Colored by: Gonzalo Duarte
Lettered by: Melanie Ujimori
Publisher: ONI Press

A new title by ONI Press, Brik focuses on a scrawny teenager named Drew, whose family faces intimidation from gangsters. The 6-issue miniseries comes from two writers with a TV background and with so many comic books being optioned for TV, maybe this will make its way into a television show. The book exploits almost every single inch of space on each page, giving it a cinematic feel.

The pacing of the story makes the book interesting all the way through, which helps the book immensely since there's not a lot of twists and turns. Little by little, Drew's grandfather reveals to him the story of a golem who protected his village in Russia during World War II. However, the story downplays its fantastical side, until the very last panel everything remains realistic and grounded. There's a familiar struggle between the tales of Drew's grandfather and his mom's realistic outlook.

Gonzalo Duarte's colder tones are somewhat reminiscent of Dave Stewart but he also gives daytime scenes a more vibrant look. A side of Harwinder Singh's art that I found really compelling was how much graffiti creeps up in the background, it makes Yonkers feel special. Having the tags be all-white also helps them stand out while making the book without clashing with Duarte's coloring. That said Singh's characters all have very rough facial expressions, which works for the gangsters and the golem but Drew doesn't convey the full range of emotions that you would expect him to.

The book doesn't break new ground but at a 1.99 price point, it's worth taking a flyer on if you are looking for a new series to read.