Kickstarter Alert & Review: Start Again #2
It has been a while, such is the vagaries of creating Indie comics, especially in the UK; Start Again #2 is now live on Kickstarter. As it has been some time, a little catch up is in order.
The story is essentially, boy meets girl, although there are a couple of things that get in the way of true love. Firstly, the boy in question, Ajay is the superhero called Jump. Secondly, on a night out and copulation with Natalie Brown, the pair have laid, in every connotation of the word, the foundations of a scandal that will lead to all sorts of difficulties.
The book is the creation of Jamie Me, who has been vocal supporter of Indie books in the UK. Me has had a huge amount of success, across a variety of story types. Start Again, perhaps feels like the type subversive story you’d expect of the 70’s to some extent. The lead character, Ajay, has a human side that is far more interesting than his superhero alter ego. Natalie, in a lot of ways, is more the worldly character that manages to ground Ajay, given that the pair have conceived a future together. There are other aspects in play that act as metaphors for mental health, which Me himself has lived with and acts as a proponent of. Throughout the book, other characters are introduced, which should have bigger influences down the line.
Toni Doya returns as artist for this second issue. If anything, the gap between the issues has help Doya refine his pencils. Panel structure, again is quite straightforward, thought there are improvements in body postures. There is a lot of detail on show, the vision panels for example as well as some of the locations used in the book. Where there could be improvement, in my opinion, is around the facial elements of the characters. Too often, faces seem out of perspective or off-kilter; even at times smiles seem forced somehow. Art is of course subjective, but on a book where emotional responses are a prerequisite, the expressions on the character need to be spot on. Colors are supplied by Sean Callahan who does well, with the various environs, though different textures to highlight indoors and out doors would help; it is a skill that Callahan is capable of given the excellent work on the aforementioned vision panels. Me pulls double duty as he also supplies letters for the book, showing his considerable talent.
There are a few creators out there whose names are synonymous with quality. Jamie Me is one of those names. Where others may have been tarnished by the perceived ongoing need for the next big event, striking out more time than they hit a home run, Me continues to deliver great concepts that are well written for a range of audiences.
Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 3.5 Stars
Colors – 3.5 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Jamie Me
Art by; Toni Doya
Colors by; Sean Callahan
Letter by; Jamie Me
For more information regarding START AGAIN #2 please click here.
Author Profile
- 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
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