Excellence #1 Review

Creator/Writer: Brandon Thomas

Creator/Artist: Khary Randolph

Colorist: Emilio Lopez

Letterer: Deron Bennett

Published by: Image

Stories about parents and their children, and how important legacy can be are as old as I can remember and that is what seems to be at the core of this new series from co-creators Thomas and Randolph. We are introduced to a world where magic exists within the “real” world and its various coda. These, we learn as a reader, from the first two pages of Excellence and it helps shape the reading experience from the beginning.

The story itself, revolves around Spencer Raymond Dales, the son of a high ranking member of the Aegis - a magic council of a sort, and his struggles to not only manifest his magical powers, but to also, seemingly, get his father’s approval. This is all told through some very well done narration by Spencer as we get to experience his struggles as he grows up.

The dynamic of Spencer and his father rests at the core of this book and Thomas showcases this in three separate ways that allow the reader to get a good sense of what their relationship is like. Without spoiling anything, these stages revolve around three pillars: anger, happiness, and grief. By doing it this way, Thomas allows the reader to grow with Spencer as the story progresses, even in this one single issue. You get to feel Spencer’s frustration; you get to feel his happiness; and you get to understand his take on grief. It is, quite frankly, really well told by Thomas.

However, all this would be nothing without the art team of Randolph, Lopez and Bennett. Randolph and Lopez compliment each other throughout this first issue as Lopez’s colors allow Randolph's pencils to jump off of the page from panel to panel. Randolph’s choice of panel design also allows for a very dynamic feel throughout as there is an ever present feeling of momentum, especially felt during the action scenes. Couple that with some very nice framing choices, and you get a comic that feels alive throughout.