Okay…so I kinda cheated. I was able to get my hands on this week’s pick before it hit stands and I read it. This generally violates my rule since this is a column fueled on excited speculation. Am I sorry? Hell no! This week’s pick was a personal joy to indulge in and one I’ve anticipated for many months. In fact the pick was drawn by an acquaintance of mine, Craig Cermak.
If you’ve read past columns you’ll know I’m a fan of Cermak’s Vitruvian Underground. This week the penciler/inker has taken his skills from self publishing to major distribution with Voltron: Year One! Issue one hits today and it looks beautiful. His story telling flows cleanly and is precise in each panel. Cermak doesn’t go crazy with layout experimentation, which in most modern comics leaves a mess of a page. His figures are believable and Cermak does a great job of fleshing out the world of space explorers on every page.
Voltron: Year One establishes that the guys running Voltron haven’t always been manning the giant robot. The first issue does a good job of introducing all the characters, and showing how they operate as space explorers in the field. The writer, Brandon Thomas, gives us a reason to care about everyone and by humanizing them. The issue starts out with their field leader internalizing his anxiety about an upcoming mission. This scene hooked me because I’ve never seen/read any Voltron in my life. I don’t care about Voltron. This guy that Thomas and Cermak have introduced me to, I now care about. Thomas does this for the majority of the important characters introduced, and leaves an interesting cliffhanger.
I’m always about supporting fresh new talent. This issue set up the opportunity to enjoy doing it by proving to be a solid comic. Grant Morrsion’s Action Comics hits this week, as well as Brian Wood’s Wolverine: Alpha and Omega, and Alan Moore’s last Supreme issue. If you only have 4$, then let those wait til next week. Take a chance to let Thomas and Cermak show you the potential of comics’ future.
