Hoax Hunters #1
Written by: Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley
Art by: Axel Medellin
Colours by: Axel Medellin
Letters by: Jim Campbell
Cover by: Tim Seeley and Chris Beckett
Published by: Image
Cover Price: $2.99 (USD)
Hoax Hunters started out as a back-up series in Hack/Slash but has now been given its own on-going title. Hoax Hunters follows a team of supernatural investigators that a use a T.V show called Hoax Hunters as a cover to investigate real supernatural events, but then make the public believe they are fake.
In some ways this series reminds me of B.P.R.D. The team of Jack, Regan, Ken and Murder have a good dynamic and Murder, the spacesuit man filled with crows is an early favourite of mine. This series has a lot of potential as there are so many myths and legends that the team can find and then try to debunk.
This first issue sees the team investigate a case of vast animal deaths in Louisiana. It’s a solid opening and it’s easy to see the potential of this series, but there are a couple of problems. Jack and Regan are introduced well, but Ken and Murder only appear in a couple of pages. Because I have read the zero issue, I know a little about each character, but here the page time definitely isn’t spread evenly.
Also, a plot thread about Jack’s father is introduced and it seems a bit early. When there is only page space to focus on Jack and Regan, it seems strange to add a mystery from a character’s past already. Despite this, the characterisation on Jack and Regan is good and they seem like excellent leads.
Also, Hoax Hunters has the big advantage of Axel Medellin’s art and after his work on Elephantmen I am sure he is perfect for this comic too. The opening sequence on the sunny swamps on Louisiana is bright, but soon filled with dread once the group see the swamp strewn with the bodies of alligators, snakes, fish and frogs. Medellin’s art is strong throughout and just as good on the character moments as the supernatural ones.
Hoax Hunters has all the components to be an excellent series. The art is fantastic and the writing is good too, it just needs a little work on pacing and to involve all the characters. As I want to read the next issue, that’s a job well done by Moreci, Seeley and Medellin.
7/10
