Review: You Never Heard of Me #1

The first issue of You’ve Never Heard of Me, which has one of the most interesting storylines of the year, takes one on the journey of the Hartbridge family who possess a unique gift to see viewed the best and the dire moments of any other’s life only by touching them. This “gift” is a curse of some sort it is possessed by Will Hartbridge’s sick grandma for the time being which places a lot of constraints on the person bearing this gift, as it’s completely moral and logical to help other people yet do not overstep yourself. This conflict of free will and family burden is a compass for everyone, and the one that narrators takes to the story as well.

The contrast is captured brilliantly and at Worlding out Slavic Zanfardino’s dialogues are smart and balance emotive drama with harsh lines. The characters are created and developed in such a way that each of them is unique and has many things people can relate to. For instance, the sibling rivalry between Will and Charlie, where sarcastic jibes are filled freely in conversations or his interactions with his grandmother are more tender than the others, all of it feels and is realistic. These relationships assist in pulling the mystical ideas into human emotions and therefore, the story being intriguing has a human touch to it.

The narration and story – where women are dominant characters – appears to be enhanced in liveliness by the art of Elisa Romboli, prompting comparisons with cinematic settings. The panels are detailed enough to present to the audience the vastness of the story: for instance the opening parts of the book that feature the picture of a calm beach and brings the most treasured moments in the heart of the characters. The Lewselly to Robert transition of the imagery in the course of the storytelling transitions from passive to active, and the readers become more involved in the life of the Hartbridge family.

The co-work of Zanfardino and Romboli in coloring the works adds further emotional impact to that story. The initial pages of the book are dominated with warm colors and coziness with Will’s nostalgia towards his family. During the time when the action starts moving towards problems and ambiguity, the colors are losing their warmth and shine which represents the inner struggle of the hero. This changing of colors can be classified as the oscillation between light and dark, much in harmony with the messages of the story focusing on anticipation combined with bifocal visions of humanity.

The tempo is very well controlled, being able to balance between exposition and culmination points. Every scene is meaningful and either adds to the construction of the setting or to some interpersonal dynamic of the characters. The narrative as envisaged by the artwork, and the colors only emphasize the truism that the images stand to back the story. Every single aspect as to designing the panels, or even fancier things like the heaps of stones on the shore, everything is of importance, all of them contribute towards the building up of the story.

According to the family history, their gift of foresight is not seen as an enviable gift but a burden. Such a nuanced portrayal invites the readers to reflect on the ethical issues of possessing the abilities which change the course of other people’s lives. There’s primary emphasis on the generational context of the relationships and this adds to the already complicated aspects of family. The relationship he has with his grandmother and sister depicts the ever-present tension between obligation and self-advancement, universal in any culture or society.

This debut issue proceeds to build expectations for a storyline that promises of greater things. The character traits and the family development in light of the changing nature of their power foreshadow an interesting story with growth along the way. The last page provides a cliffhanger that is rewarding in its suspense. You’ve Never Heard of Me #1 presents the readers with a bright eye-catching but also complex narrative which gracefully touches upon the issues of power, its consequences on responsibility and how families interact with each other. The first issue can only be described as setting a high benchmark; to the excitement of the readers, there is more to come.

SCORE:
4.5/5

WRITER: Iolanda Zanfardino
ARTIST: ELISA ROMBOLI
COLORISTS: ELISA ROMBOLI & Iolanda Zanfardino
LETTERER: Iolanda Zanfardino
PUBLISHER: DARK HORSE COMICS

Author Profile

Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!