Writer: Ryan Ferrier I can sell you a body
Artist: George Kambadais
Color Artist: George Kambadais
Letterer: Ryan Ferrier
Publisher: IDW Publishing

Ever heard of a reverse exorcism? Yeah, me neither. Not until I read I Can Sell You A Body #1. This comic is going to be a four-part series, which I personally like because I suck at collecting long comic runs. So four issues, especially for a new story, sounds perfect.

In short, I Can Sell You A Body is about a man named Denny Little who can communicate with the deceased and uses this to earn money. But it turns out he can do more than just have a chit-chat with the dead. He gets put in a situation where, to save his own life, he has to become a real estate agent for those wandering the other world. Putting spirits in the bodies of the living? Sounds like nothing could go wrong …

I’ve never read Ferrier’s work before, nor have I seen any of Kambadais’s art. I went into this blindly, and honestly? I’m glad I did. Having no previous work to compare it to allows me to give an honest review.

Let’s start with the cover, shall we? Its use of negative space is something that’s very appealing to me, and it immediately gives an impression of the story — that of a man being jerked around by something not-human. They claw at him; they want something from him. It speaks for itself. So the cover is very well done.

The cover as well as the artwork and the coloring is done by Kambadais, and I like it very much! It has a very smooth feel to it. It’s bright and colorful but not too overwhelming. The “supernatural” parts of the comic are also very nicely illustrated, making it very easy to pick up on what’s going on in that field. I also liked the creativity that was shown in the layout of the panels: the switch between borders and borderless, straight, tilted, or slashed. It added a certain dynamic to it and helped with the storytelling.

What’s not so easy to pick up on is the story, at least in the beginning. I really love the concept, and it has a lot of creativity. But (yes, there’s the but) I had trouble following the story until the second half of the comic. I don’t blame Ferrier, though. It’s difficult introducing a whole new world, new concepts, and new characters, while also telling a story in just four issues. I get that. But while reading the first few pages, I kept going back to see if I missed anything, because I felt like there was information missing. I kept thinking “wait, what just happened?” because it all was very fast-paced. Personally, I like narrative boxes. They provide a little bit of background information, which I was missing in I Can Sell You A Body.

This all sounds a bit negative, but in all honesty, I enjoyed the story. The second half of the comic was a lot clearer and felt slower, too. I also really like the “intermission” page in the beginning (that’s the best way I can describe it without saying what it’s about). Right from the start, Denny’s personality and lifestyle become clear. You immediately know what kind of guy you’re dealing with and what that will mean for the rest of the story. The cliffhanger was also very intriguing. It makes me curious about what’s gonna happen next, and that’s a great thing! This comic is a mix between humor and sci-fi, which is my favorite combination. Although one issue is not enough for me to fully determine how I feel about it, I think this story is off to a good start.

All-in-all, I Can Sell You A Body looks like a creative, original, and promising comic, which is definitely worth checking out.

The comic is out on Dec 18th and can already be pre-odered.