The Mercenary Sea #1

Writer - Kel Symons

Art - Mathew Reynolds

Adventure comics are much less prevalent in the mainstream than they have been in the past.  The Mercenary Seas aims to change that, and bring back the pulpy adventure stories kids grew up on in the 30’s and 40’s.  I must say, it’s a welcome return to fun storytelling and embracing tropes.

Symons presents us with a typical rag-tag team of ne’er-do-wells and lost souls, each with their own motivations for joining up with Jack Harper’s group.  We get glimpses into a few of those motivations, but for the most part Symons plays those cards close to his chest, eeking out the backstories to the characters bit-by-bit.  In addition to the main characters of the story, we’re treated to a number of ancillary characters, each with their own parts to play in the overall narrative.  Symons really nails the dialogue that goes along with these types of characters.  The speaking patterns and conversations are believeable.  The tongue in cheek humor and sly references really feel at home in this story and engage the reader.

There are references to the adventure writing greats, Jules Verne and Robert Louis Stevenson, but this story operates solely on its own merits.  It brings a mystery story to life in regards to Harper’s quest to find a mythical island.  Everything is just far-fetched enough to be believeable, which speaks volumes for Symons’ talents as a writer.  There is a fine line he is walking here, embracing the stereotypes of the adventure genre characters while at the same time presenting an engaging story that will make the reader want to return for the next issue.  It comes down to the final page, a small reveal set up earlier in the narrative.  There are a pair of responses that a reader can have.  “Ugh.” and “Heh.”  I’m happy to say the close of the introductory issue received the grin and the “Heh.” from me.  

Reynolds handles all the duty on the art and excels at bringing the set pieces to life.  The coloring presents an inviting world.  There is a breakneck pace to the story settings, taking us from the seas to island natives to a bar in civilization.  The color schemes change just enough from setting to setting and the consistency of the art ties the different sections of the story together nicely.  The character designs are different enough so there isn’t much confusion as to who is who, which is nice with such a large cast.  

The Verdict…

There is a hole in my pull list that this title fills.  This is a fun action/adventure story that takes the reader on a cinematic trip with a group of likeable adventurers.  I can’t wait to see where the story takes us.