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Monday, April 20, 2015

Comic Review: No Mercy #1 Image Comics

No Mercy #1
Story By: Alex de Campi
Art By: Carla Speed McNeil
Cover By: Carla Speed McNeil
Image Comics

Price: $2.99
Diamond ID: FEB150483
Published: April 1, 2015
It was just a trip, before college. Build schools in a Central American village; get to know some of the other freshmen. But after tragedy strikes, a handful of once-privileged US teens must find their way home in a cruel landscape that at best doesn’t like them, and at worst, actively wants to kill them.
Throw a bunch of priveleged city folk on a bus and ship 'em out to the country for a while, then watch 'em sweat. Now, switch it up some. Take a bunch of doe-eyed college freshmen and ship 'em out to Central America for some humanitarian work. Ya know for kicks. Then watch 'em really sweat.

If you're looking for superheroes, or even the supernatural, in this comic book, you have come to the wrong place. Alex de Campi and gang have something much more mundane in nature and traumatizing in tone in store for you. Because, sufficed to say, this is going to be the trip from Hell.

With this first issue, Alex sets the table with more than a dozen characters to juggle along the way, which is quite a feat to do for a single issue, at least in my opinion. Somehow, she manages to pull it off, giving just enough of a glimpse to each character's personality, with many afforded a little more attention thanks to the expert illustrations that breathe as much life into them as the dialogue.

The first half of the book feels a bit familiar with its introductions, kind of like Final Destination with disaffected or excruciatingly chipper teens taking their seats before the big plane ride. Only with No Mercy, it is a jalopy bus they find themselves crammed into along with locals, both charming and shady in nature. But when the badness happens, it's furious, unforgiving, and quickly shows just how unprepared these young go-getters are outside suburbia.

The series is just getting warmed up, but shows a lot of promise, and I expect de Campi and company will take no prisoners and no shortcuts with No Mercy.
3 1/2 Sheep





Gef Fox

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