REVIEW: S.A.D #1

A brand-new story featuring a brand-new hero descends on the comic book scene with S.A.D #1. Is this new entry worth your time?

Marcus Irabor is a man at the end of his rope. Broke, unemployed, aimless, oh and having homicidal fantasies about a college professor who has wronged him. He quickly finds himself involved in a conspiracy he wants no part in before being introduced to a mysterious stranger who tells him he’s a descendant of a line of heroes with unimaginable power tasks with protecting the people of his land. The set-up is origin story fare with its own unique twists. His powers are only limited by his imagination allowing him to do just about anything. The story also takes us to a new land. Set somewhere in Africa which is something rarely seen in comics. Writer Tosin Awosika keeps the dialogue and styling authentic to Africa and his story moves along briskly with a couple of shocking moments and plenty of spy-thriller style intrigue.

Awosika also pulls double-duty creating the art for the issue as well. This is quite the rare feat for one creator to cover the writing, art, and coloring for a comic and kudos go out to Awosika. Two particular standouts are Marcus’ superhero form and the very cool looking stranger who guides him though the first stages of his superhero-dom. The imagery is mostly grounded in reality. The colors are earthy giving the comic a gritty vibe mixed with traditional comic book style art to give it a look all its own. Overall, the action looks good and there are several emotional/memorable panels.

S.A.D. is an anagram for sad and desperate and perfectly describes Marcus’ state of being as the comic begins. Things go from bad to worse so by the time he learns he’s a superhero, he’s beyond reluctant. It’s a first issue so the exposition is thick but it’s clearly written and easy to follow. And like any good opening salvo, intriguing questions remain. Why was Marcus having fantasies about being a hitman? What’s his connection to the mysterious professor at the center of this conspiracy? There’s a group of assassins, an African police force and more involved in one way or another. There’s a lot going on and it will be interesting to see where things go from here. S.A.D. #1 is a solid start and is worth a look for readers looking for something different in their comics.

Writing – 3.5 Stars
Art – 3 Stars
Coloring – 4 Stars

Overall – 3.5 Stars

Written by; Tosin Awosika
Art by; Tosin Awosika
Colors by; Tosin Awosika
Letters by; Guido Martinez
Published by; Revelation Comics

Author Profile

Christopher R. Ford

Writer, author, and blogger. Published author of three children's books and also writes for the boy Creators For The Culture. Part-time sneaker head, full time nerd.