Coda #1 Review

Coda #1 Review

Written by: Simon Spurrier
Illustrated by: Matías Bergara
Color Assists by: Michael Doig
Lettered by: Colin Bell
Publsihed by: Boom! Studios

A review by Cory Webber

Coda #1 introduces  us to a world dealing with the aftermath of an apocalypse. A once-wondrous fantasy world that has had nearly all its magic wiped out. Hum, an antisocial former bard, seeks a way to save the soul of his wife with nothing but a foul-tempered mutant unicorn and his wits to protect him.

Coda #1 is Simon Spurrier’s latest addition in a long line of unique, beautiful creator-owned stories. His ability to create a unique world that feels real and lived in is, well, otherworldly. In this over-sized issue, Spurrier introduces us to new places, people and events while making us feel like we’ve already been here.

Throughout the book, Hum is writing a letter to his wife, who has been taken by a savage clan called the urken. This letter reveals a lot about the antisocial Hum and, maybe, even more about his wife. It is an honest love letter that makes you feel for him. It also highlights what the potentially devastating impact of losing her would do to him. Also, the dude has a freaking pentacorn, which essentially a five-horned unicorn. So, if you thought unicorns were the most magical creatures, you thought wrong!

I really can’t praise Spurrier’s writing enough. However, it was the combination of the entire creative team that made this book excel.  Bergara’s art did take a little for me to get used to. At first blush, the art seemed rushed and erratic. But, with each turn of the page, it grew on me. The soft, frenetic lines imbued a sense of chaos and urgency in even the most uneventful panels.

The colors really popped in this book. The book had a palpable energy due to the be bright neon colors. As much as I liked the colors and pencils, it was the lettering that was most  distinct. For the first time ever, I stopped reading and searched Bell’s name to see what other projects he had done. His effective use of the bold typeface really lent emotion and impact to the dialogue. Also, his use of a lighter color font for words that were meant to be whispered, or otherwise spoken softly, was brilliant.

Verdict: Buy it!

Coda #1 unique and fun but, most impressively, it is 40 pages for the price of a regular-sized book. Spurrier deftly sets up the conflict and leaves us with more questions than answers. In short, it’s exactly what a first issue should be!