By Robert “Rob Base” Greenwood
I am and will always be a sucker for anything that takes place in Japan. What this does unfortunately, makes me a complete and total critic to a degree that is almost unhealthy.
First lets look at the synopsis from Comixology:
In the opening issue, we are introduced to the world of the Rider via the opiate of its inhabitants: television. During the media frenzy leading up to the launch of KenkyūCorp’s newest mobile phone, a brazen terrorist attack kills their lead spokesman and shocks the nation. In the days that follow, Japan’s most watched news program, Channel 8 OmniNews, and its lead anchorman, Shintaro Fukasaku, follow the subsequent attacks by the mysterious individual, clad in an outfit reminiscent of old superhero TV shows and apparently capable of superhuman acts of violence.
There are a ton of elements that I think work well in the story.First and foremost is the Rider’s look, it reminds me heavily of Kamen Rider.
The story itself is solid enough for a simple indie comic book and has tons of potential in future issues. The art does pull me out of the story quite a bit. The lack of a solid artist does lead to a bunch of confusing panels that make it hard to fall in love with the over all comic.Last but not least is the generic buildings, this is a pet peeve of mine. you have Google Images and tons of Google maps, so why are we still getting crappy generic images? As an artist make the attempt to draw actual places in Japan be it Tokyo Tower or the Skytree. Adding Iconic locations will help the reader dive into the world you create!
In the end it is worth a read but I can only give this really short first issue a 2/5 with the lack of a solid artist and better settings. But I hope that they continue telling a very cool story and maybe the art will catch up!
Comixology Link: Riders#1
Riders#1
Written by: Joshua Hammonds
Art by: Joshua Cassara
Genre: Action/Adventure, Superhero
Page Count: 24 Pages
Digital Release Date: Jul 3rd 2013
Age Rating: 17+ Only
