Review: American Dark Age #1
At the Creator Connections panel at New York Comic Con, I got to talking to a talented artist who said she was helping out at the Megabrain Comics booth over the course of the con. The name struck a bell, but I couldn’t quite place where I’d heard it before. But once I got home and returned to my backlog of creator-owned review comics, I read this great debut issue of American Dark Age, and I realised that this is where I’d heard the name Megabrain Comics before. And now I’m kicking myself, as if I’d read this comic beforehand, I’d surely have remembered to go to the booth and congratulate the creators in person for the quality comic. But if I’m unable to do that, this review will have to do.
This first issue is mostly prologue. In the opening pages we get a brief glimpse of protagonist Katherine Brody as a swordswoman slicing and dicing foes in a barren future landscape devoid of all technology, but for the most part this first issue is about flashing back to before the catastrophic event ominously referred to as the blackout , and giving us some insight into the possible cause of this disaster, as well as letting us get to know Brody and her supporting cast in a little more detail. Brody proves to be an interesting character, as this glimpse into her former life shows an identity as a punk rocker, and a dependence on her electric guitar to feel like she has a purpose, and even to feel loved. Given the fate we know awaits all electrically-powered items, her journey to find a new sense of self in a harsh and different world should make for some intriguing reading.
On the whole, writer Jean Michel does a great job in bringing this world to life. I like his style, particularly his narration. He is not a writer whose style is entirely plot-driven and functional. He’s not afraid to play around a little, and get a bit poetic within his captions. Without wanting to sound premature or make an unfair comparison, his voice reminded me quite a bit of early Alan Moore in this approach to wordcraft, which is good company to keep. The dialogue was good too. There were a couple of awkward moments of unconvincing teen-speak, particularly in the clunky nicknames Brody gives to people, but there was also some believable conversations peppered through the script that balanced things out.
The art of Jacqueline Taylor is also very slick. Her slightly cartoony style doesn’t quite hit the right tone in the more sinister or horrific beats in the story, but she gives Brody that touch of expresiveness that really helps bring her to life. It’s also worth noting that Jacqueline is able to skillfully maintain the level of detail in each panel, even when there are 8 or 9 panels in a page. This means that, in terms of content, you feel like you’re getting a dense read that gives you plenty of content for a first issue, but not at the expense of the stylish aesthetic. This isn’t an indy book that looks like an indy book. American Dark Age has a cool, professional vibe that gives the book the production values you might associate with an Image title. Good work.
American Dark Age has a clever concept, but more importantly, it’s executed with precision, by writer and artist alike. Jean Michel and Jacqueline Taylor both mark themselves out here as talents to watch, and after a debut issue that skillfully balances compelling plot development and world-building with deft characterisation while barely setting a foot wrong, I’m definitely left on the hook eager to see what happens in issue #2.
***
Writer: Jean Michel
Artist: Jacqueline Taylor
Letterer: Jean Michel
Editor: Michael Vuolo
Design: Austin Lawther, Jean Michel
Publisher: Megabrain Comics
Price: $1
Synopsis: Megabrain Comics brings you the first series in their neo-medievalâ„¢ apocalyptic trilogy; AMERICAN DARK AGE which takes place in a near future when a mysterious event renders all combustion based machinery, weapons and electrical technology impotent and useless. The story focuses on Katherine Brody, a young punk singer from Oregon and her rise as an unlikely warrior in a world that no longer recognizes itself.
AMERICAN DARK AGE thrusts the reader in to this archaic landscape and asks not only who you were before The Blackout but who will you be after, with so much righteous destiny and sinister opportunity laid before you to be picked at with the tip of a sword.
Brody’s journeys take her and a small band of Marine Corps Knights from the bloody shores of California across the now harsh and lawless landscape of the United States to an end that will change the face of a nation forever.
Filled with political intrigue, character drama and ultra-violent sword clashing battle scenes, AMERICAN DARK AGE takes a new look at the American spirit and what people can achieve and destroy when they set their mind to it.
American Dark Age #1 is now available to buy from Megabrain Comics’ official website.
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Category: Comics, The Creator-Owned Zone
