Spread #01
Writer: Justin Jordan
Artist: Kyle Strahm
Colorist: Felipe Sobriero
Publisher: Image
It’d seem that Jordan’s penchant for writing stories of gratuitous ultra-violence has yet to wane in recent years, and that’s awesome. It’s a shame that he isn’t teamed up with Tradd Moore for such a bold foray into this action/horror/post-apocalyptic title, but Strahm holds his own pretty darn well.
In a world that was once not unlike our own, a mysterious entity known simply as The Spread has proliferated through to every end of the Earth, infecting hosts and taking them over as a violent form of zombie/shapeshifter style parasite (think John Carpenter’s The Thing). It also becomes immediately apparent that this scourge is nothing new, and that the world as we know it collapsed years prior to the story. Our protagonist is a man a scavenger, a man of few words, and he is introduced to us simple as No. As it so happens, No is immune to the Spread; but that doesn’t mean invulnerable. He is soon united with a baby whom he takes into his car, who also happens to be the series’ narrator, named Hope.
Some might argue that the core story is nothing new and I can understand that, but I like the in media res style of dropping the reader in and allowing them to assess the damage that has already become of the world. There’s no ramp up like The Walking Dead or hope of resistance as in Sweet Tooth – just pure, unadulterated survival against a very visceral and unpredictable threat.
Strahm’s artwork also aids in beautifully splattering plentiful amounts of gore and chunk across the beautiful snow-covered backdrop of the world, and though the color palette is not too varied, Sobreiro captures the stark contrast between the ultraviolent scenes and the seemingly peaceful environment hosting these skirmishes; this makes sense though, considering his past work with Jordan.
I’m probably biased in saying I recommend this series, but this was a pretty strong debut, and even dipping your toes in for this issue alone feels worth it.
Artist: Kyle Strahm
Colorist: Felipe Sobriero
Publisher: Image
It’d seem that Jordan’s penchant for writing stories of gratuitous ultra-violence has yet to wane in recent years, and that’s awesome. It’s a shame that he isn’t teamed up with Tradd Moore for such a bold foray into this action/horror/post-apocalyptic title, but Strahm holds his own pretty darn well.
In a world that was once not unlike our own, a mysterious entity known simply as The Spread has proliferated through to every end of the Earth, infecting hosts and taking them over as a violent form of zombie/shapeshifter style parasite (think John Carpenter’s The Thing). It also becomes immediately apparent that this scourge is nothing new, and that the world as we know it collapsed years prior to the story. Our protagonist is a man a scavenger, a man of few words, and he is introduced to us simple as No. As it so happens, No is immune to the Spread; but that doesn’t mean invulnerable. He is soon united with a baby whom he takes into his car, who also happens to be the series’ narrator, named Hope.
Some might argue that the core story is nothing new and I can understand that, but I like the in media res style of dropping the reader in and allowing them to assess the damage that has already become of the world. There’s no ramp up like The Walking Dead or hope of resistance as in Sweet Tooth – just pure, unadulterated survival against a very visceral and unpredictable threat.
Strahm’s artwork also aids in beautifully splattering plentiful amounts of gore and chunk across the beautiful snow-covered backdrop of the world, and though the color palette is not too varied, Sobreiro captures the stark contrast between the ultraviolent scenes and the seemingly peaceful environment hosting these skirmishes; this makes sense though, considering his past work with Jordan.
I’m probably biased in saying I recommend this series, but this was a pretty strong debut, and even dipping your toes in for this issue alone feels worth it.
A Look Inside
