The Mighty Titan #1
Imagine you had powers. Imagine that every time you stepped out onto the street, you know that you can make a difference. That bullets will bounce off you. That you can fly around the world and back in the blink of an eye. That no matter what happens, whatever challenges may rear their head, you and you alone have the power to stop it. Now imagine you were told you have cancer.
After a very successful Kickstarter campaign, Joe Martino managed to release his labour of love, an on-his-sleeve homage to the golden era of superhero comics entitled The Mighty Titan. This is a project that deals with Martino’s own experiences battling the dreaded c-word, and the helplessness that tethers with it. While the debut issue glosses over this fact, Martino promises the depth of the illness will roll out in the subsequent issues. What we have now is a fun, super-hero romp that hits right at home for the Generation Y Yuppie crowd.
The focus of the story is Mark Williams, a victim of our awful economy, Mark is a forensic investigator without a job and without hope. After witnessing the Mighty Titan dispose of some bad guys, Mark is even more determined to get back on his feet and support his family. Yet, after a seemingly harmless incident, Mark and the Titan may find their fates are more intertwined than they both would have suspected.
The Mighty Titan #1 is a light-hearted book, yet under its surface is a growing darkness you can’t ignore. Though you may miss it on the first read through, after a second and closer look, the happy go-lucky façade of the book shows its crack. This is a testament to the subtly of Martino’s writing. What starts as an homage to the Chris Claremont days of over-narration, actually works to trick the reader into a false sense of familiarity. You may think you know the Titan, but in actuality, this debut issue is only the tip of the ice berg.
What’s even more impressive than the writing is the pencil work by Luca Cicchitti. Each panel feels like it’s part of a living, breathing world rooted very much in reality, despite the presence of robots and super-beings. His character models are also void of the over-the-top muscles that plague a lot of comic books these days. It would have been too easy to make the Titan Liefeild-jacked, but Cicchitti's restraint helps showcase the human element needed for the weighty tones Martino hopes to lay-out in future issues. Topped off with some excellent ink and colours, this is one indie book that looks as professional as anything you would find on the stands.
The Mighty Titan #1 is an excellent debut issue that comes straight from the heart. Thanks to the talent and subtlety of its creative team, Martino and Co. has paved the way for what may be a great indie series.
The Mighty Titan #1
Writer: Joe Martino
Penciller: Luca Cicchitti
Ink: Jeff Austin
Colours: Keith J. Betancourt, Bryan Magnaye
Letters: Adam O. Pruett
Editor: Robert J. Sodaro
Publisher: JGM Comics
Purchase: http://jgmcomics.ecrater.com/p/15685126/the-mighty-titan-1
After a very successful Kickstarter campaign, Joe Martino managed to release his labour of love, an on-his-sleeve homage to the golden era of superhero comics entitled The Mighty Titan. This is a project that deals with Martino’s own experiences battling the dreaded c-word, and the helplessness that tethers with it. While the debut issue glosses over this fact, Martino promises the depth of the illness will roll out in the subsequent issues. What we have now is a fun, super-hero romp that hits right at home for the Generation Y Yuppie crowd.
The focus of the story is Mark Williams, a victim of our awful economy, Mark is a forensic investigator without a job and without hope. After witnessing the Mighty Titan dispose of some bad guys, Mark is even more determined to get back on his feet and support his family. Yet, after a seemingly harmless incident, Mark and the Titan may find their fates are more intertwined than they both would have suspected.
The Mighty Titan #1 is a light-hearted book, yet under its surface is a growing darkness you can’t ignore. Though you may miss it on the first read through, after a second and closer look, the happy go-lucky façade of the book shows its crack. This is a testament to the subtly of Martino’s writing. What starts as an homage to the Chris Claremont days of over-narration, actually works to trick the reader into a false sense of familiarity. You may think you know the Titan, but in actuality, this debut issue is only the tip of the ice berg.
What’s even more impressive than the writing is the pencil work by Luca Cicchitti. Each panel feels like it’s part of a living, breathing world rooted very much in reality, despite the presence of robots and super-beings. His character models are also void of the over-the-top muscles that plague a lot of comic books these days. It would have been too easy to make the Titan Liefeild-jacked, but Cicchitti's restraint helps showcase the human element needed for the weighty tones Martino hopes to lay-out in future issues. Topped off with some excellent ink and colours, this is one indie book that looks as professional as anything you would find on the stands.
The Mighty Titan #1 is an excellent debut issue that comes straight from the heart. Thanks to the talent and subtlety of its creative team, Martino and Co. has paved the way for what may be a great indie series.
The Mighty Titan #1
Writer: Joe Martino
Penciller: Luca Cicchitti
Ink: Jeff Austin
Colours: Keith J. Betancourt, Bryan Magnaye
Letters: Adam O. Pruett
Editor: Robert J. Sodaro
Publisher: JGM Comics
Purchase: http://jgmcomics.ecrater.com/p/15685126/the-mighty-titan-1
A Look Inside
