Advance Review: Friendo #2

Vault Comics are in the business of putting out a range of comics as eclectic as anything seen from AfterShock and Darby Pop.Â With the second issue of Friendo, they continue to allow their creators to push the boundaries.

Leo is having a bit of moment, it has to be said.Â After being electrocuted, mugged at knife point and being dumped by his friends, he needs time to recuperate and rebuild his shattered confidence and reclaim his place back in his own world.Â Who better to help him then, than his virtual reality pal Jerry, who himself if having his own version of a mental health episode.Â So, what could go wrong for Leo, when his only “real” friend in the world only sticks around when there is purchasing intent, suffers a lack of morality and ethics?

Alex Paknadel, a writer who has worked on Assassin Creed books,Â has deftly created a tale that is as far removed from licensed books as you could probably get.Â Here, Paknadel is taking on a variety of elements, from self worth, mental health, consumerism and the idea we are actually what we buy! In doing so, he has created a character in Leo who is an every man in every sense of the term.Â Reading the book, we can see how his struggles seem so familiar and how the metaphors in place can actually match our own lives.Â How many times do you reach for your phone before having a cup of coffee?Â These pieces go to show a life well observed and in it’s creation, a pseudo reality that is more real then the devil-on-the-shoulder in Jerry.Â You could even go as far to say that amongst other attributes given to Jerry, there is a bit of a question asked in the form of what would you do to keep your friend happy?

The book is illustrated by Martin Simmonds who gives the book a style that borders on affected reality.Â Simmonds has taken the things that we recognise and taken it a step further.Â The world is so like ours, it is quite scary.Â In addition, once the environs have been established, Simmonds retracts into a more is less, allowing for the focus to fall squarely on the characters in the story.Â Along with Leo and Jerry, there are a couple of characters that will have an impact on the story.Â Each one gets their share of panel time, though Simmonds ensures that their use and appearances are used effectively to move the story forward.Â Colors are provided by Dee Cunniffe who, again delivers top notch work, here adding to the VR effects extremely well.Â Taylor Esposito is on letters, and like Cunniffe on color schemes, works his magic on text boxes and font types to help the reader understand the visuals and nuances of the dialogue.

Watching Vault Comics grow and come into their own in delivering a consistently high quality has been one of the best stories in the comic industry, for me, over the last year or so.Â With books like this, being created by writers, artists et al at the top of their game, Vault are creating high expectation levels, of which I am sure they can not only match, but surpass in time.

Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Written by; Alex Paknadel
Art by; Martin Simmonds
Colors by; Dee Cunniffe
Letters by; Taylor Esposito
Published by; Vault Comics

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