Frostbite #1
Written by: Joshua Williamson
Art by: Jason Shawn Alexander
Colors: Luis NCT
Letterer: Steve Wands
Assistant Editor: Maggie Howell
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Publisher: Vertigo
Frostbite is about a post-apocalyptic world, only instead of a nuclear holocaust (which is so overdone) the world has entered man made ice age. I first noticed the comic in previews at my comic shop. Immediately, I was intrigued because I really enjoy ‘Birthright’ and ‘Flash’ by Williamson. With that, I eagerly awaited and received my copy this week and boy was I impressed.
The narrative that’s driven forward by Williamson is well done. You get a sense of the world without knowing everything. The characters: Keaton (principal protagonist), Chuck, Barlow, The Doctors and the goons who are after them all are very well defined without giving us everything about every character.
Also, given the setting is a frozen tundra and characters have to be especially tough to survive the choices and decisions people make you don’t see them coming.
One of the many failings that is possible for a first issue is too much exposition and not enough showing. This comic never felt overly wordy and the storytelling by Jason Alexander moved the story forward at a steady pace.
Jason Alexander, has drawn a few other books I’ve really enjoyed, ‘Abe Sapien: The Drowning Man’ and a couple of issues on ‘Gotham Central’ but he wasn’t someone’s whose work I was intimately familiar with. After reading this issue, he will be a name I don’t forget. The issue is absolutely beautiful and it features some great storytelling. Everything from the character designs being immediately distinguishable to the great establishing shots he uses. The book is a beauty to behold.
Alexander’s storytelling, for me, push this book from good to great. The little things he does to entice the reader to turn the page. For example, having a match fall to the bottom right of a page so you have to turn the page to see the gruesome scene of someone being lit on fire. Have our protagonists walk into a warehouse and have that warehouse be on the bottom right of a page so you have to turn the page to see what is in the building. Its little things like that which push a book into the great range when it comes to storytelling. Another cool thing Alexander does is evey time there is action on a panel he flips the camera from being on our protagonists to being behind the goons doing the action. It took me a few moments to realize what the ‘trick’ was but one you realize it, this does a great job of showing how people react in situations.
The artwork is enhanced by Luis NCT’s color. Luis makes you feel the frozen tundra. In a book about a frozen world, you would think there would be a lot of things colored white and there certainly is. What surprised me though was the use of a light blue to show extreme cold. This range from white to light blue show the extreme colds in the setting of the book and it’s masterfully done.
Verdict:
Must Buy!!! Joshua Williamson and company have crafted an interesting story about a cold world and the things people must do to survive in it. The snow covered world serves as a back drop to the cold decisions people make.
