Brother Nash #1 Review

Brother Nash #1

Writer and Artist: Bridgit Connell
Publisher: Titan Comics

Review by Greg Brothers

Let’s be honest: if you are a comic book writer or artist and you get a job at Marvel or DC, the chances of you getting to tell some fun original concept stories is not real high. Instead you need to either raise funds yourself and self-publish or find a company that will take a risk on you. In Bridgit Connell’s case it was a bit of both. A few years ago, she self-published the original version of Brother Nash. Now here we are a few years later and Titan Comics is giving her the chance to write the series for them.

Brother Nash #1 introduces us to Nash, a truck driver who sees ghosts, and at times turns into something more when the moon is full, or anger takes hold of him. Being the overall trusting man that he, is Nash agrees to pick up a hitchhiker who needs to get to Tucson. It is meeting that hitchhiker and a series of interconnected events that leads Nash and his friends on a crazy and dangerous adventure. Did I mention that there is a pet praying mantis and a man cooking cicadas? Sounds crazy right?

If it sounds like there is a lot going on in Brother Nash #1,that’s because there is. Thankfully Connell is able to take all these ideas and harness them into a story that makes sense and flows well. At no point does it feel overwhelming or confusing. From the beginning we learn about the type of person that Nash is and how some of his friends picture him. Once Nash picks up the hitchhiker we get a better idea of the hidden powers that Nash has. Be it between Nash and the hitchhiker, Nash and the ghosts, or any other combination, the dialogue in Brother Nash #1 is sharp, witty, and easy to understand. The lettering and placement of speech bubbles allow for the reader to easily follow those conversations. Coming in at 72 pages, Connell is able to flesh out some of the ideas and nuisances that may have been skipped over if it was a shorter book.

Connell’s art is filled with a perfect mix of the real and the surreal. It feels perfectly normal to see the hitchhiker having a conversation with a ghost cow. Connell’s ability to make the ordinary extraordinary helps to cement the uniqueness of the story. She is able to design characters such as the aforementioned ghost cow, killer power line, and man with a hornet’s nest for a head in a way that feels normal when you see it on the page. There is just enough detail in the panels to tell the compelling story without overwhelming with unneeded details. Connell’s colors work well with her art style. The colors are bright, bold and engaging. They pop out of the panel and help draw the eye to the right area.

Verdict: Buy it.

Brother Nash #1 is a unique and compelling story that draws you into the characters from the first panel. Immediately you understand the kind of person that Nash is and that allows for you to connect with him within minutes of picking up the book. By the end you feel as if you have been taken on a magical journey and you cannot wait to jump back on and go again.