Writer: David Lyons
Artist: Tayson Martindale
Publisher: Indie Engine Press
WHAT IS IT?
A story about the joys and stresses of kids and parenting with some light tokusatsu action.
Think Boss Baby meets Toy Story meets Power Rangers.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
(Minor spoilers)
Michael is a fun and imaginative boy who loves nothing more than playing in his room. In the middle of an epic battle between toys, Michael’s mom informs him that it's time for a bath. Not wanting the fun to end, Michael pleads to be allowed to play a little longer, but mom won't budge.
The frustration becomes too much and Michael becomes Destructor, a robot bent on destroying anything in its path. Only his mom and brother can stop Destructor’s reign of terror and get the titan into the bathtub, but will they do it before everything crumbles?
WHAT WORKS
Lyons’ story is fun and extremely relatable to parents. He pokes fun at kids throwing temper tantrums while also being respectful of their genuine emotions.
Martindale’s loose, comic-strip style makes each panel enjoyable and dramatic. His pencil work allows the action to be over-the-top.
Every panel is a rainbow of color without detracting from the focus of each scene.
Martindale's variety in lettering styles perfectly depicts each character’s voice. Despite there being many pages with lots of lettering, the reading order is never confusing.
The story wonderfully tows the line between real and imagined. This allows for more perspectives beyond the kids and parents for more nuanced storytelling.
Thick, wavy panel borders are used in moments of intense action and greatly highlight these parts of the story.
There are some fun references to popular comic book characters that will bring extra enjoyment to comics fans.
WHAT DOESN’T WORK
The lettering style for regular speech is tight at times and seems to accidentally combine words in a few spots.
Shading is very light for most of the book. This makes some of the big moments have less impact.
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
As a parent, Destructor perfectly captures the struggles of raising kids without making it seem like a chore. Michael’s mother and brother are extremely loving and understanding even when they must transform into superheroes to stop the robotic child’s rampage. Since comics as a whole is overly saturated with orphans and characters from abusive homes (not that those stories aren’t valid), it’s a lovely change of pace to see some positive family interactions. The blending of reality and imagination is also highly effective as it gives the reader multiple angles to enjoy the story.
The art is a marvelous homage to anyone who is a fan of the Sunday strips. The linework and dense color palette exude fun and allow for some excellent drama when the action hits a fever pitch. It makes the book a visual treat for readers of all ages.
An excellent choice for everyone, big and small, Destructor should be a part of anyone’s collection.
WHAT DO I READ NEXT?
If you like the writing:
Soul (in Project Big Hype) by David Lyons & Samuel Owen
Action Tank by Mike Berry
Lumberjanes by Grace Ellis & Noelle Stevenson
If you like the art:
Box Boy by Tayson Martindale
Kids by Tayson Martindale
Kaijumax by Zander Cannon
ABOUT THE CREATORS
David Lyons (@lyonswrites) – Writer
A newcomer to comics, Lyons has contributed short comics to Project Big Hype and the Vault comics universe.
He is also a reviewer writing for Driving Creators Network.
Lyons hosts an online comics shop.
Tayson Martindale (@tadmartindale) - Artist
Prominent in the indie sphere, Martindale is best known for his graphic novel Box Boys and his comic strip Kids.
He and his colleagues developed the kid's card game Active Animals to which he contributed artwork.
Martindale hails from Canada.
HOW DO I BUY IT?
The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.
All Destructor characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright of Indie Engine Press or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.