Advance Review: Everfrost #1 (of 4)

One of the best things about reviewing books for Crusaders is getting to see creators build upon a sparkling start and deliver consistently great books. Step forward Ryan K. Lindsay and Sami Kivela. From working together on Chum; first issue review can be read here, to working on different books such as the excellent Negative Space (Lindsay) and Abbott (Kivela), the pair have come full circle to deliver a very ambitious sci-fi tale.

Van Louise has had enough of her life. Moving to the far end of her world, she looks to bio-hack a dead leviathan in order to sail to the stars. However a war between the ruling Warlords and the Bloom, who live a life of near extinction on the waters looks to engulf Van and her odd partner-in-gene splicing, Eight. I told you it was ambitious!

Ryan K. Lindsay has a habit of creating grandiose stories wrapped in various human emotions. This book is no different. Taken away from the sci-fi trappings, you have a woman who is suffering from a loss, maybe a couple of losses. This drives her actions and motivations. Lindsay doesn’t stop there. Here, he is in full world building world, crafting a world with its own unique political and lifestyle trappings. Unlike other writers that look to create a world, Lindsay compliments his readers by not explaining everything, therefore treating readers with respect. It is a big ask as there is a lot going on. The dialogue between Van and Eight serves to lighten the mood in a kind of married couple kind of way.

Sami Kivela has been on fire in the current Abbott series. Looking back at Chum, through Abbott, a review of the latest issue can be read here, to this book, you can see the improvement in panel design and storytelling. The diversity of the art from dirty Detroit to the myriad of rich sci-fi trappings is truly amazing. Too many artists fall into a same is same trap of similarity breeds uniformity. Kivela revels in the idea of pushing his imagination and developing the look and feel of Lindsay’s writing. It is a true collaborative affair. Adding to the feel and vibe of Everfrost is colorist Lauren Affe who gives the book a darker feel than you may have seen in the Artemis and the Assassin book. In places, Affe’s colors remind mind of the Russ Manning Star Wars newspaper strips. Finally, a huge round of applause must go to letterer Jim Campbell who deals with the sheer amount of words very well, ensuring that the art and the pace of the storytelling are not negatively impacted.

I am a huge fan of both Lindsay and Kivela; I love how neither are just settling as creators. Instead they continue to push their talent forward with stories that feel as diverse as any of the big indie publishers output. For a book that mixes scope of environment with the scope of human emotions, Everfrost, through Lindsay and Kivela, surely delivers.

Writing – 5 Stats

Art – 5 Stars

Colors – 5 Stars

Overall – 5 Stars

Written by; Ryan K. Lindsay
Art by; Sami Kivela
Colors by; Lauren Affe
Letters by; Jim Campbell
Published by; Black Mask Studios

Everfrost #1 is in the current Previews for a 2nd June 2021 release – Order Code: APR211533 – preorders close on April 18.

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network