Jody Parker's Earthsons is a fantastic read. The art and story captured my complete attention by the first page when usually it takes me a full issue to decide whether I like it or not. It is a fantasy tale with a technological aspect to it from what I've seen so far.
It is a terrible future, one where there are severely diminished numbers of people living on the planet H'trae. 700 years ago, an event of epic proportions happened, and now the air and the land is too toxic for people to breathe or grow food. This first issue doesn't make it clear what the event is that occured, nor does it say how the various species left living on the planet managed to survive, but I hope this will be clear later on in the series. There is also a reference to a strange substance called Blue, but I'm not entirely sure what it is yet.
This issue introduces what I assume to be the title's main character Aleyen, who makes a living from stealing and mugging people. Unfortunately for him, this earns him the attention of the local law enforcement, the Guardsmen. One of them in particular clearly has a bone to pick with Aleyen, because of his past mis-deeds, and as he struggles to find his way out of his predicament, an unexpected ally comes to his rescue. But it's not all it seems, as Aleyen is offered a job that he almost can't refuse. There is another character called Setrar in a side plot that has his own mystery too. A group of three people have managed to convince him to visit Nos, a Lord, despite his apparent dislike of Nos. His introduction is very brief and ends with him journeying to visit Lord Nos.
I'm very interested in seeing where this storyline is heading. Aleyen and his friend are such mysterious characters, especially since Aleyen has already displayed what appears to be an unusual ability for this world and it wasn't discussed any further in the issue. I'm really curious about this Aleyen character since he seems like a rough character but there's still something strangely likable about him.
The artwork in this issue is of exceptional quality. The lush greenery looks so real, as if you're really there, experiencing the beauty of the surroundings. I'm also pleased to see that as Aleyen and Leeyal leaves the village, the setting changes to a more barren landscape so you don't see the same environment throughout the comic, and it ties in better with the idea that this post-apocalyptic world is a harsh place to be living in. The place appears to be very much like medieval times which suits fantasy stories perfectly, but there are three people who wear metallic suits and can fly up in the air which makes it seem more like science fiction. I'm very impressed with the colours used, as they really make you feel immersed into a different world from Earth altogether, and draws you further into the story. They're very unusual colour choices too, so it really stands out but somehow it manages to work for this story. I love how the half-feline girl Leeyal really does look like she's evolved from cats, and not a typical "cat-girl" with cat ears and a tail.
I encourage you all to check this out if you are looking for a change from mainstream comics, as the story will have you hooked by the first issue. There is a little violence in a couple of panels, but only a little blood is shown and there is nothing too gory, so this would still be suitable for teenagers and above to read. There is more information about this title available from Jody Parker's website - Dark Ocean Studios. |
