North Bend #1
Scout Comics 2020
Created & Written by Ryan Ellsworth
Illustrated by Rob Carey
Coloured by Dee Cunniffe
Lettered by Thomas Mauer
In the not too distant future, the U.S. is at war -- against Russia, and its own people. The country is on the verge of economic collapse and political revolution. Desperate to regain control, the CIA recruits Seattle DEA Agent Brendan Kruge to test an experimental mind control drug on unwitting Americans. Compelled by his sense of duty to his country, Brendan struggles to keep his life from falling apart as he tries to reconcile his personal beliefs with the security of the nation.
Oh I really like this one. I keep telling you all that you should be reading Scout's books, hell one of em made my best of the year list, and with this book we're getting another incredible series with a story and a premise that just blows you away. The opening of course is the most important part of the book, it has to grab the readers attention and make them want to see more. This does that in spades and I almost have this hard time reconciling the opening from the rest of the issue and that is stupendous! Right off the bat the reader is engaged and pulled into the story and that's what I love to see.
I am rather enjoying the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see here through the sequence of events unfolding as well as how the reader learns information is presented beautifully. The story is layered with different pieces and aspects that we know will end up meeting at some point but in the meantime it is interesting to use your own mind to try and connect the dots. The character development is interesting mainly because we really see them in their roles but don't get their motivation yet. So this just adds a layer of questions and tension to what we're seeing and that's a good thing in my book. The pacing is superb and as it takes u through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way and helping to create the books overall ebb & flow.
I love this outside the box thinking kind of story. It has a way of igniting fire within the reader with what ifs and how could it kind of scenarios. It isn't only that because you can see this kind of thing actually happening based on our own history. The CIA after all is know for this type of work and hiding it from everyone until they get busted. So this of course then moves into the realm of could this really be happening now? So much fun indeed.
The interiors here are rather impressive themselves. I like the strength we see in the linework and it's varying weights to bring out the attention to detail. Also there are some small things that make a lasting impression and that to me is the sign of a talented illustrator. I mean the hair on the arms, the stubble on the face and throughout we see things on every page that make it stand out. Now I am not gonna fib here I would definitely like to see less blank backgrounds, when they are started and we know they exist then when we don't see them there's a little disconnect. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a strong and talented eye for storytelling. The colour work is really nice as well. I wish there more brighter colours, yet the muted tones we do see work perfectly within in the context of the story it fits. The way we see the different hues and tones within the colours to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is extremely nice to see.
I will say this over and over again until it sinks into your head, the most innovative, fantastic and interesting storytelling comes from places like Scout Comics and this book right here. This book stacks up with everything else that is one stands today and is actually better than most. Do yourself a solid and make sure Scout Comics titles are on your pull list.
