Crowdfunding meets the underdog

I will freely confess that I am a big fan of both crowdfunding, in general, and of Kickstarter, specifically. They both allow for creative sparks to take actual life. They make things that might otherwise be left relegated to the obscurity of the idea realm, alone, into reality. In other words, they make dreams come true.

Maybe not for everyone, but certainly, for some.

This blog of mine that I seem to spend far more time forgetting about than I do posting on is focused primarily upon comic books or things of a comic nature. So, it should come as a surprise to no one that happens upon this out of the way blog upon the Internet of Many that my gaze for this particular blog posting lands squarely - and heavily - upon (what else?) a comic book.

Sidekicks: Dedicated - Dependable - Disrespected is a crowdfunding project launched by creator and writer Russell Brettholtz.

Writer Russell Brettholtz

Now, it's not important that you know who Russell BrettHoltz is. It's not even important whether you have ever heard of his whole Sidekicks comics concept before or not. No, what's important, for the purpose of this blog posting, is that I tell you why I am backing this project - and for that matter, why the Sidekicks concept for a series of comic books attracted my attention in the first place.

I'll take the last one first.

I've long been a fan of comic books, and of the superhero genre of comic books, specifically. Thus, the concept of what a sidekick is has long since become ingrained into my entertainment-loving psyche.

Yet, despite their close association with superheroes (or even super villains, for that matter), nonetheless, to be a sidekick is, by and large, to suffer the fate of being second fiddle. It's Batman and Robin, not Robin and Batman, after all.

People can relate to what it's like to play second fiddle, in life. Hell, it's part and parcel of the legacy of being an underdog. Who amongst us can't relate to being an underdog at some point in our respective lives?

To crowdfund a project for the very first time can no doubt come across as an intimidating prospect, for many. Thus, to launch a Kickstarter, at all, has a thick air of underdog quality about it. Doubt has a way of seeping in. Underdog status attaches, whether one likes it or not, whether one wants it to or not.

You're under the gun. You've got a project to fund. It's work. It's time consuming. Every crowdfunding project needs a superhero to accompany it, as standard equipment. But, life just plain doesn't work that way.

Now, Russell Brettholtz has crowdfunded, before. This ain't his first attempt at utilizing crowdfunding to turn dream into reality. He's attended this dance, before.

But, were you to ask him about his current project, Sidekicks: Dedicated - Dependable - Disrespected, I suspect that he would tell you that he's feeling a little bit under the gun, right now.

Time is running out, and he still has a considerable distance to close, on the funding end of things, before this latest venture into the realm of crowdfunding becomes successfully funded.

I'm backing this project, because first and foremost, it reeks of quality to me. Brettholtz's Sidekicks concept has always caught my eye, from the first moment that I laid eyes on it before his first Kickstarter that embodied it, to this latest incarnation of the same.

Sidekicks is blessed with characters that have been imbued with a heavy dose of humanity. Russell has a way of making them come alive, to me. They feel more real. I can relate to them - not just as characters, but as personalities.

The Flying Fox

With barely five days left in his project's crowdfunding campaign, his project is a little more than half way to its funding goal. It may succeed. It may fail. And it is the prospect of failure that moves something inside of me. Something within tells me that both Russell Brettholtz and this Sidekicks: Dedicated - Dependable - Disrespected project of his could use a few sidekicks of their own.

Now, the world won't end, certainly, if this project fails to meet its funding goal. But, I can't help but to think that the world won't be the better for it, if it does.

While I do love both Kickstarter and crowdfunding, I tend to back projects with small pledge amounts. I'm not one of the big guys, when it comes to the wallet wars. Nope, I'm just a little guy. Meet the proverbial nobody.

That's Mr. Nobody, to you!

I believe in becoming part of the crowd, not in becoming the crowd. I have no desire to become a crowd of one, and effectively try to fund a crowdfunding project to success, all on my own.

But, some crowdfunding projects just seem to have a way of mattering to you more than others. Granted, it doesn't automatically translate into more money magically appearing in your wallet, to make upping the ante on your pledge of support substantially bigger. Yet, projects like this one seem to press upon me a renewed sense of importance in them becoming a reality.

So, while I don't even have the benefit of a decent costume to wear, I choose to enter the fray, just the same.

Won't you join me?

The clock is ticking, and right now, Time, itself, seems to be the biggest enemy of all. Time is running out. Who will ride to the rescue? Who will save the day?

Click HERE to visit the Kickstarter project page for Sidekicks: Dedicated - Dependable - Disrespected

Never been a sidekick for a crowdfunding project, before? Not a problem. Just climb aboard. Just join in.

Still undecided? Just take your time.

You've got five days.

Me??

I'm already in the fight!

Review - Puny Mortals - Issue # 0

Thou shalt not judge a book by its cover!

Not only is this the case with comic books, generally, but it applies with special force in the present instance. Issue zero of Puny Mortals is one of the shortest comic books that I have read, of late. This, I assure you, is regrettable.

Hailing from the press of In Comics, Puny Mortals is puny fare, indeed - if what you are after is a comic book title with no successive issues. It's harder to be more mortal, as a comic book, than when you've been relegated by your own creators to the ignominy of single issue status.

But, when you've got some decent material going on, on the interior pages, a mystery is conjured up. Namely, the kind of mystery that begs to know why, in God's name, that the powers that be behind this little venture of a comic book never followed up issue zero with the very same substance that this mini-issue of a comic book was packing?

But, it is not for me to decide the fate of all comic books. I'm a late comer, to this one, although I freely admit that I encountered it, previously - only, at that time, I wasn't risen from the swamps of primordial reviewer ooze that I have seemingly aspired to, since then.

Vaporizer kicking ass!

Maybe the creators of Puny Mortals didn't quite realize the little gem of a comic book that they had on their hands. Comic book publishers are, after all, a rather creative sort. Perhaps they fled the universe of Puny Mortals, in search of greener comic book pastures elsewhere. In any event, it's a true shame - for I really do like this snazzy little breeze of a read.

The entire issue, from front to back, is a mere eleven pages. For a comic book that aspires to tale its own version of superhero tales, that makes it a tight fit to try and cram a decent story into a the mere space of nine interior pages.

But, be that as it may, Puny Mortals issue zero manages to leave me wanting more. I'm just afraid that more isn't just around the proverbial corner. Indeed, Puny Mortals may have been more puny than any of us could ever even hope to realize, for it doesn't currently seem to be a priority for anybody to continue.

Are YOU a Snad??

Except, of course, for me!

With the bulk of independently published comic books that I encounter, more often than not, what potential readers are met with are decent looking front covers, while the interior pages are often little more than visually toxic artistic sludge. I hate to be the one to say it - but, I'm saying it!

Bloodsucker at your service.

Yet, Puny Mortals managed to evade that common fate, and in the process, it managed to turn that traditional comic book publishing equation squarely on its head.

If you can bring yourself to disregard the visually embalmed look of the credits page, and press on to the actual interior pages of this comic book, what you will find is some decent looking artwork, which in turn is bolstered by some passable coloring.

Just don't stare too closely, or for too long, at various characters' heads. Don't ask why - just don't do it!

For all of its talk about Snads, this is no Snad of a read. It's got some visual gonads growing on it.

Super villain, Road Kill, is just rolling right along.

Now, don't misunderstand. This micro-length comic book has little hope of pounding you into a perpetual state of visual oblivion bliss. But, all across its pages, the interior shines with the gossamer of substance.

Who has the power, now?!

In other words, this here is some solid stuff, folks. I mean, where else are you going to find super villains named Road Kill sporting over-sized tires as weapons?

Is it cheesy? Sure, it is! But, after all, superherodom of comic books is replete with countless instances of campiness or cheesiness. It is easily convertible into something that can be useful, both in a visual sense and in a literary sense.

All things considered, the art is superior to the coloring, in issue zero of Puny Mortals. But, I dare say that the colorist gets the laugh laugh - a booming, bellowing laugh, and without even laughing at all. Near the end of the book, the colorist explodes upon the page, and the reader is treated to a moment of vibrant color and visual impact that rises above the bar of the ordinary.

For the most part, though, the colorist took a subdued path on issue zero of Puny Mortals. While this is not an inherently bad thing, it does come at a visual price. While it does drain this issue of a noticeable amount of energy, nonetheless, it plays right into the hands of the mood that this comic book seeks to strike. A little gloom, anyone?

Stupid is as stupid does. Don't be stupid - Read Puny Mortals!

Puny Mortals tells us about how a Joe Blow might buy a "gadget" on the power market. Little does this comic book or its creators seem to realize that they have quite the gadget in their possession, all along. In the search for creating something bigger and better and more interesting, one would be well-served to more fully appreciate what they already have in the palm of their hand.

Just a nice little scene from the comic.

But, what do I know about any of it?

Not nearly enough, I'll tell you that.

Even still, I do know what I like when I see it, even if I can't always explain the "why" behind my particular likes, as they relate to comic books.

Puny Mortals showcases power, and it does so under the guise of impotence. It is a tale of wannabees, of ordinary people who dream of the chance to strike a super-powered blow of their own.

What this aspect of the concept is, is a way to connect with you or I - the humble readers that do more than just read comic books. We think about them. We wonder about them. Sometimes, we even live vicariously through them.

How else do you explain all of these super-powered thoughts that run through our minds, at any given hour of the day?

Which is why it is an especially sharp loss to see this little title not continued on.

This is exactly how I feel, knowing that the next issue is nowhere to be found.

So much promise (and decently executed, at that), but a legacy of merely a single one. One issue. That's it.

The comic book world is all the poorer for it, too!

This little comic book has decent lettering, too. Did I mention that?

The tale, itself, is told through a combination of narrative boxes and dialogue, with the narrative boxes taking the dominant form on the pages that unfold before you.

So much potential!

Yet, a great bulk of it remains unrealized, to this very day.

Pity such puny mortals!

The lettering is good, and helps make Puny Mortals an enjoyable read.

Could've been.

Wow! The creators of Puny Mortals certainly coined the right phrase with that one, for this tiny giant is a sterling example of what could have been.

Is Puny Mortals' future obliterated?

Of what could still be.

But, this review comes late in the day, proverbially speaking. One might as well wish and hope for super-powered gadgets from the power market, for one's very own - for that is probably as likely to succeed as wishing into the Internet aether for this mini-me of potential to come roaring back from where it has lain collecting dust, in the time between when it was first released and now.

So, while I won't be holding my breath for Puny Mortals to make a come back, I will make the effort to memorialize this exercise in comic-book-could've-been in review form, that its creation not have been entirely in vain.

Sometimes, you see, the little guy is worth remembering, worth reflecting upon, worth seeing in action.

Even if he doesn't make it.

Even if she doesn't succeed.

Even if his or her best laid plans go astray, in doomed bids to influence the demons and demi-gods of a super powered universe that the big guys of comic bookdom can't be bothered to give us.

When Zoomba is not enough, call Ball Lightning!

We might never be so fortunate as to learn the fate of Ball Lightning, but at least she made a valiant attempt to end an episode of chaos that the super villain of the hour had thrust upon the world.

But, maybe she had simply had enough, and walked away into the sunset where all comic book go to never be read, again.

Or, like me, perhaps she is still out there, lurking in the shadows of the Internet, just waiting for one more chance to unleash her power upon the unsuspecting comic book ilk of this universe.

When all is said and done, I like it - this Puny Mortals, as they call it.

That's why I'm giving it this not-so-puny recommendation to others, to those of you others out there who are looking for some good comic books to read.

Puny Mortals issue number two comes at a very puny - albeit affordable - price. That's right, it's free for the downloading.

Be bold! Grab your copy of it, today!

Puny Mortals - Issue # 0
Publisher: In Comics
Writer: Christopher Howard Wolf
Artist: David Newbold
Colors: Keith Garletts

Click HERE to download a free copy of

Puny Mortals - Issue # 0 in PDF format!

Review - Interceptor # 1

Recently billed as the most successful Kickstarter that they've had at Unstoppable Comics, issue # 1 of Interceptor is the latest reading fare to make its way to me, from the realm of comicdom. Hither, now, comes my review of it!

Regardless of Interceptor # 1's billing as Unstoppable Comics most successful Kickstarter to date, make no mistake - it is not Unstoppable Comics' best comic book produced, to date.

Far from it, in fact.

However, I quantify that statement by pointing out that the issue, itself, proclaims August 2014 as its actual time of creation, even though the Kickstarter project for this issue didn't end until December 19th, 2014. Thus, there's a span of four months to account for, when weighing and assessing and comparing Interceptor # 1 to other comic books by the same company.

For example, another comic book that they published, one that I recently reviewed - namely, Unstoppable Origins # 4: The Origin of Dr. Zero - asserts September 2014 as its time of creation, even though I read and reviewed it prior to ever reading Interceptor # 1. So, unless Unstoppable Comics got the dates wrong on the inside pages of its own comic books, from a creation point of view, Interceptor issue number one strikes me as an earlier product than The Origin of Dr. Zero. As such, this helps me to reconcile what I feel are some of the shortcomings with Interceptor # 1.

Before I go into greater detail of the issue's respective strengths and weaknesses, I would preface my remarks-to-come with a simple statement that I enjoyed reading the comic book. Rest assured, by this point in time, I count myself as a true fan of Unstoppable Comics. I look forward to each of their new comic books, as they come out, and I think that, by and large, they are doing a very respectable job of publishing what I feel are quality comic book products.

That said, I have no qualms about criticizing various instances of what I feel are points of weakness in the end product that they are putting in the hands of comic book readers.

The credits page of Interceptor # 1 lists the following individuals as being responsible for the comic book that I have just read and am now reviewing. Respectively, they are:

Brandon Easton - Writer
Russ Leach - Illustrator
Michael Summers - Colorist
Letterer - JayDee Rosario
Richard Rodriguez - Editor
Max Dunbar - Variant Cover

Issue number one of Interceptor is a mixed bag, one that leaves me a bit miffed. On the one hand, it contains a select few instances of panels that are spot on the money for being top notch. On the other hand, the bulk of what we see in the panels that collectively comprise the various pages of this comic book do not even remotely rise to that level of praise worthiness.

Interceptor # 1 isn't terrible. It's really not.

But, neither is it terrific.

Instead, it is a mish-mash, a veritable hodgepodge of middle ground accomplishment.

Of the individuals listed in the credits for this comic book, the one that I, personally, think should come in for the least criticism is Max Dunbar. After all, his contribution to the effort that was this issue is confined to the variant front cover for it.

The pre-order front cover does a pretty good job of crafting a visually interesting front cover. It visually entices me, somewhat. It doesn't reach out and grab me, nor does it make me drool with excitement, when I look at it. But, for the most part, the front cover works. It serves its purpose. It gets the job done.

It's job only, though. What it does not get done are the other jobs - namely, the jobs attributed to the other individuals previously listed, above.

Max's variant cover grabs my eye, with Interceptor in running form in the foreground, as a giant Union Jack dominates the background. It's not a better, not more visually interesting, alternative to the pre-order version of the front cover for this comic book, but it does embody more visual energy than its more visually interesting counterpart.

Overall, Russ Leach manages to churn out some pretty decent artwork. This issue was not a stellar performance by Russ, to be certain, where the artwork is concerned, but I will say this for him - his work is consistently good, with much of it being well above par, compared to what you usually find scattered throughout the independent comic book industry.

None of Russ's artwork in this particular issue is terrible. None of it is really even bad. Rather, the biggest visual drain on the artwork rendered by Russ Leach for Interceptor # 1 is the coloring that accompanied it.

Not that I want to say that colorist Michael Summers was the real villain of this issue, but yeah, he was. Sorry, Michael, but it's true.

And that is where the greatest mystery of issue # 1 of Interceptor lies. The great unknown is not the magical ley lines that writer Brandon Easton has dangled before us. Rather, it's how Michael Summers' coloring can vary so greatly across the pages of a single issue.

What the Hell is going on here, guys?

This particular issue runs the coloring gamut from excellent to ho hum. In other words, it's a consistency issue.

I do not believe that Interceptor # 1 is a sterling example of Russ Leach's most imaginative drawing, as an illustrator, but from page to page from front page to last page, Russ Leach's artwork is rendered consistently better than Michael Summers' coloring.

Two of the four panels on the first page of this story are rock solid eye candy, both from a drawing perspective and from a coloring perspective. The other two are little more than an exercise in coloring mediocrity. Not terrible, but nothing to write home about, either.

The villain, Throttle, gets issue # 1 off to a good start.

Colorist Michael Summers' crowning glory for this issue is his treatment in colors of the character known as Throttle, although there are some instances of Interceptor that make Michael's work as a colorist shine.

The far more interesting, Throttle, beating up on Interceptor.

Brandon Easton's contributions as the writer for this issue are successful, all things considered. But, the story that he tells, while it gets the job done, does not make me clamor for more. It was an interesting story. It was OK. It was all right. But, it doesn't make me want to subscribe to Interceptor, compared to how I was left feeling after reading Unstoppable Origins # 4: The Origin of Dr. Zero.

There, somebody needed to slap JayDee Rosario around, and make him stay in a room until he delivered the next issue of Dr. Zero to us. Here, I'm more interested in seeing what Unstoppable Comics comes out with next, more so than I am in following the further adventures of Interceptor. Blame me, if you like, but that's what you guys at Unstoppable Comics made me feel, where Interceptor # 1 is concerned.

Interceptor carries a shield called Pridewynter.

On the editing front, Richard Rodriguez did a better job on the story part, than he did on the punctuation front. The editing needs more attention to detail, but for whatever flaws that it may have, ultimately, it's a very readable story. It's easy to follow, and it's legible.

Which leads us into the lettering, and to my main man over at Unstoppable Comics, the illustrious Jaydee Rosario.

Is this the real JayDee Rosario??

Interceptor # 1 makes use of narrative boxes, something that was noticeably absent from Unstoppable Origins # 4: The Origin of Dr. Zero. Perhaps credit for that should go to the editor, rather than the letterer, but that particular quibble aside, the lettering suffices to get the job done.

At times, it feels a slight bit cramped, relative to the size of the speech bubbles utilized in select instances, but none of it rises to the level of critical.

Far better that the lettering be legible than that it be a visual parade of horribles - as is often the case with comic books published by independent publishers across the comic book industry.

Of course, there is that opening narrative box that is quasi-pale red with yellow lettering - which was definitely not lettering's finest moment.

But, the grand bulk of the lettering is presented with black text in a white speech bubble, which yields solid visual contrast, so that the simple act of reading a comic book doesn't become a form of visual torture.

I like this!

In terms of the special effects lettering presented here, issue # 1 of Interceptor is no tour de force of visual delight. Instead, once again, readers are given the mixed bag treatment. Not horrible, but nothing that rises to a visual majesty. Rather, what we are treated to largely seems to be content to just get the job done.

This, not so much.

This issue of Interceptor continues Unstoppable Comics' apparent tradition of injecting interesting concepts into its storylines. I liked the ley lines concept a lot, and I also liked the link between Interceptor's shield and the famous sword of literary fame, Excalibur. The Axis of Neverwynter also caught my eye and my interest.

But, when all was said and done, I was more interested, as a reader, in one of the villains - Throttle - than I was in the hero, Interceptor.

The villain, Grave Walker, fell flat with me.

Grave Walker in action.

As with many things in the superhero genre, Interceptor # 1 struck me as being more worried with creating an origin story for a character, than in simply telling an interesting tale in a very interesting way.

Sure, it's interesting, because it is new to me. The characters are new, and the story, itself, is new. But, beyond that, it doesn't really win me over to the title's namesake character, nor does it persuade me

that the title, itself, is worth following, as a series.

Rather than drawing me into a compelling storyline, Interceptor # 1 leaves me feeling distant. It's not outright boring, but neither is it particularly exciting. Instead, it is interesting, but interesting with a touch of the mundane.

Nonetheless, for all of its flaws and shortcomings, Interceptor # 1 doesn't make me like Unstoppable Comics, any the less. Each issue presents its own set of challenges, and overall, my impression of the company is a very positive one. I don't have to look forward to what Interceptor is doing next, in order to still be very interested in what Unstoppable Comics is coming out with next.


Publisher: Unstoppable Comics
Brandon Easton - Writer
Russ Leach - Illustrator
Michael Summers - Colorist
Letterer - JayDee Rosario
Richard Rodriguez - Editor
Max Dunbar - Variant Cover

Review - Unstoppable Origins # 4: The Origin of Dr. Zero

From that bastion of comic book superherodom, Unstoppable Comics, comes a comic book titled Unstoppable Origins # 4. I first caught wind of it when it was a crowdfunding project on Kickstarter.

I backed it. The project ended - it's funding goal met and exceeded! Shortly thereafter, a digital copy of the comic book in PDF format made its way into my e-mail in-box.

I consumed it, in short order. Now, after all, not only was this a new title, it was also my first comic book encounter with this company, Unstoppable Comics.

If I may be so bold, if I may be so blunt, the bottom line is that I enjoyed it.

A lot.

For starters, it's got a great front cover. The cover art depicts a guy with energy emanating from behind him, and his clothing is in tatters. He's wearing a metal helmet and gloves. His helmet reminds me of a what you might get if you cross a Cylon with both Rom: Spaceknight and Doctor Doom. That's what it made me think of, anyway. His facial expression, what we see of it, drives home the point that what he is experiencing, from the impact of this energy upon him, is pain.

Having never encountered either the company or the character, before, I really didn't know what to expect - or to think. My impression of what I had encountered, when my impression was formed in its totality based solely and only upon what was being presented on the Kickstarter project page, can be found over on another blog that I wrote by clicking on the following link:

http://squatchkick.blogspot.com/2014/08/kickstarter-project-unstoppable-origins.html

But, that was a review of the Kickstarter project, and what was being presented therein. It was not a review of the comic book, as far as from the perspective of someone who had actually read the finished product. Hence, why I am reviewing the comic book here. Now, I have the advantage of the full experience.

And that, I want to convey, is a good thing.

It really is. I feel that what I ended up receiving was a solid product.

I enjoyed it. It was reading that was both enjoyable and interesting. All things considered, both good and bad, taken together still left me feeling as though I was glad that I had backed the Kickstarter project for this comic book, in the first place, and equally glad (if not more so) that I had took the time and made the effort to read this comic book from cover to cover, all of the way through.

Here, we have a story that makes sense. It gets me interested on page number one, and it retains my interest across the whole issue. When I reached the last page, it left me wanting more.

Ack! It ended here. Why did it have to end so soon.

Great front covers for comic books are OK. They're a good thing. There's a great thing, actually. They grab the eye. They tempt you. But, they don't always relate to what's on the inside.

Unstoppable Origins # 4 doesn't have that problem. The front cover is a perfect choice to tout what lies within, just beyond that initial visual horizon.

The origin at issue in this particular issue is that of one of the super villains from the Unstoppable Comics universe - Dr. Zero.

The issue does a good job, I feel, of not just telling the origin of Dr. Zero, but also, of giving the reader a glimpse of a greater array of characters that populate this universe.

The art and the coloring are what attracted me to this project in the first place - but, it is the storyline of the writer that closes the deal and makes it all work.

In the overall scheme of things, this comic book has more good points than bad points. Actually, it has very few weaknesses, and an abundance of strengths. It is an issue that has substance to it, and on more than one level.

In my considered opinion, the issue's greatest weakness, if it has one, lies in its lettering. Overall, the lettering is OK. In any event, the lettering is legible. I had no problem reading the comic. There are a few minor quibbles with select instances of punctuation and grammar, but I don't want to leave anyone with the wrong impression that it approaches rampant sloppiness - for it doesn't. But, it could have benefited from an even more thorough proof-reading than what it was subjected to.

I don't give the lettering an A+, but neither do I give it a failing grade, all things considered. It would probably get a B rating from me, on the lettering. It is far better than the average independent comic book, as far as those considerations go. These particular criticisms are more a criticism of the editing, than with the lettering, per se, as that is one of the core functions that naturally lie within the editing domain. Yet, it is through the lettering that such shortcomings become noticeable, as these problems are text-based in nature. The bulk of the editing is fine, though.

This issue has some decent special effects artwork encompassed within its pages. This really imbues the comic with a very energetic feeling. The special effects lettering, however, I have mixed feelings about. The strength of the issue does not lie there.

The cast of characters is visually diverse, and visually interesting. The art, itself, is one of the great strengths of this issue. Dynamic poses and good facial expressions make the art more than just pretty pictures to look at. They are integral to making a superhero type comic book to come alive. This issue gets that part of the equation right.

The coloring is solid, but it is not quite as consistently strong across all pages of the issue, as the art that underlies it is. But, it really does contain some very nice instances of color with vibrancy. It caught my eye, during the Kickstarter, and it continued to catch my eye, after I received the final product via e-mail.

Unstoppable Origins # 4, the Origin of Dr. Zero, is flush with color. The quality of the color on display in this issue is head and shoulders above most independent comic books that I encounter. Some of it, though, is solid gold - really great, as far as coloring goes. None of it is terrible.

The writer succeeds in giving us a villain that clicks, one who it is easy to have some sympathy with, as to how he became who he was - and even with why he became a villain.

But, because this is only an origin issue, Dr. Zero begs to be fleshed out, in future stories.

Another of this issue's top strengths lies in its use of panels. There's lots of variety to the panels on display, and even instances of characters breaking out of panels. With a lot of independent comic books, panels seem to be something given little, if any, thought. Here, though, they help to transform the overall work into a true visual treat.

When all is said and done, this issue of this comic book, which served as the gateway for my entry into this particular comic book universe, made a very positive impact upon me. It hooked my interest - not just for this one issue, but for a whole universe that it posits before me.

It left me wanting more - and that, in a nutshell, persuades me that it does an awful lot of things right.

If this is the kind of comic book products that Unstoppable Comics intends to publish, then I think that comic book readers have something worth looking forward to.

Publisher: Unstoppable Comics
Writer: Jaydee Rosario
Illustrator: Russ Leach
Colorist: Michael Summers
Letterer: Jaydee Rosario
Editor: Richard Rodriguez