77 #1
Well, this certainly gets top billing on the page, as it’s the first issue of a projected 32 issue series. That’s a serious commitment, and something Matthew, with his prolific pace in putting out Strange Science Fiction, might actually be able to complete. The first issue is all about the lonely life of a young teenager named Jonny. Jonny has a crush on a girl at school, and things take a turn for the worse when he sees this girl with his friend Jimmy at the movies. I liked the silence of this issue, the way Matthew lingered over some of the more awkward moments in high school and didn’t bog the reader down with endless explanations and exposition. As for the story, obviously it’s the first piece of a very large puzzle, so all I can really say for now is that it worked and has me looking forward to the next issue. I do have a couple of complaints, because what kind of reviewer would I be if I didn’t? Matthew could really use something to differentiate his characters. There’s a scene at the start of the book where Jonny is walking in a scholl hallway and is being made fun of by a group of boys, all of whom look pretty much the same at a casual glance. Maybe some different hair colors would help, but I can see this being an issue between Jonny and Jimmy down the road, as they look pretty much the same too. More distinctive names would have helped tell them apart too. Still, it’s early in this story and I still have very little idea where it’s going in the long run. It’s worth a look anyway, that’s for sure. As for the price… $2 maybe?
