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GUARDIAN ANGEL #1
Mildly Recommended (5/10)
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Image Comics
Writer: Jonathan Peterson
Pencils: Aron Wiesenfeld
Inks: Scott Williams, Aron Wiesenfeld & Kevin Conrad
Colors: Jeromy Cox
Letters: Michael Heisler
Price: $2.95 US/$4.50 CAN |
This comic book boasts a lot of strengths. It has an innate sense of fun and adventure, some sharp action sequences and some interesting designs that combine organic elements and sleek technology to chilling effect. But by the time I reached the end of the issue, I didn't feel I had a good sense of the characters, and wasn't all that curious about what comes next. This first issue lacks the most important element of all: something to really hook the reader.
Christian Angelos is one of the top action movie stars there is, and he's got the cash to prove. He also does his own stunts, and he likes to take other risks... when it comes to dating women. Yep, Christian seems to have to all... expect a past. He's an orphan, and the only link to his family history is a dusty diary that his great-grandfather kept. It turns out that some unusual individuals want to get their hands on that diary, and they're willing to kill to get it.
The creepy designs for the alien bad guys who turn up later in the book are impressive, and Wiesenfeld shows he's got an eye for action in the opening sequence. His Jim Lee influence shows through clearly, due in no small part, no doubt, to the inks o frequent Lee collaborator Scott Williams. This book offers some strong visuals, from crisp colors to Wiesenfeld's eye for perspective and mood.
Peterson has definitely crafted a comic book with an emphasis on adventure; despite some darker elements, there's an overall tone of fun and excitement. Mind you, the story doesn't really hold up under scrutiny. The idea behind the opening sequence is a cute joke, and we've seen it before. But it's a bit much for the reader to swallow the idea that all of that action is choreographed and caught on film. Furthermore, the plot isn't at all clear. These are not familiar characters or even familiar creators, and I'm not given enough information here to draw me into the story.
Not only is the plot rather vague, so are the characters. One doesn't get any sense of depth from Christian as a character, and everyone else around him seems like more of a prop than actual players in the story. The book has a lot of things going for it on the surface, but underneath, there's nothing to bring me back.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
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