Writer: Rick Quinn Art: Martyn Lorbiecki Publisher: Aurora Comics
WHAT IS IT?
A self-contained "one-shot" story about life before and after the nuclear apocalypse.
Kind of like The Road, in that it's a limited cast with a lot of quiet and heaviness.
WHAT'S IT ABOUT? (Minor Spoilers)
The story here is very short, so I don't want to say too much out of fear of spoiling anything.
Basically, we follow one, lonely man throughout his day-to-day. For the first half of this comic, there's no dialogue. He has no reason to talk. The present (and future) is dark and lonely and awful. People live in hovels underground, spending their days cleaning or exploring what's left aboveground.
Our protagonist spends some of this time thinking back to how the world was before, and those he lost when the world went south. Back when he had a life, and a significant other.
It's through these flashbacks that we see that he hasn't processed all the trauma from the giant, deadly event. He's as ruined as the landscape he's exploring.
This comic explores how someone may start to heal from those scars in a very emotional, yet eloquent way.
WHAT WORKS?
A lot of writers try to fill every page with as much dialogue as they can, especially self-published ones and especially in one-shots; Quinn uses it sparingly, and it really works here
You also don't often get art this good in self-published works; Lorbiecki's art shows a great deal of talent, and it also fills in a lot of the story so the writer doesn't have to
Quinn & Lorbiecki get us to care about the protagonist and this world so much in a very small amount of space
The comic is only $2, which is (in this yeti's opinion) an incredible value for the story
WHAT DOESN'T WORK?
It's not groundbreaking as far as post-apocalyptic stories go, but that doesn't make it any less poignant
It's pretty heavy -- don't pick it up until you're ready for an emotional, post-apocalyptic read
My biggest complaint is that there isn't more to read!
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
For a self-published one-shot comic, this blows its competition out of the water. It does so much in just 20 pages, and I was sad that it ended. This book is a hidden gem. If you know anyone looking for an example of excellent self-published work, direct them here.
WHAT DO I READ NEXT?
If you like the writing:
Saltwater by Rick Quinn & Dana Obera
A. D. -- After Death by Scott Snyder & Jeff Lemire
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Pia Guerra
If you like the art:
Harrow County, by Cullen Bunn & Tyler Crook
Dept. H, Vol. 1 by Matt Kindt
Sweet Tooth, Vol. 1 by Jeff Lemire
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Rick Quinn – Script & Letters
Multitalented: Also works as an artist, a graphic designer and a filmmaker
Tends to write shorter, single-issue ("one-shot") comics
Recently funded (via Kickstarter) his next comic, Spirit Drifters
Martyn Lorbiecki – Art
Outlander: Lives in the UK, but is half-American
According to him, he is possibly a clone
HOW DO I BUY IT?
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