Punks Not Dead: London Calling #1 Review

Punks Not Dead: London Calling #1

Writer: David Barnett
Artist: Martin Simmons
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: IDW Publishing/ Black Crown

Review by Greg Brothers

Last year we were introduced to Fergie, a young boy who lived with his single mother. They lived an interesting life in which they traveled the world claiming to be people they were not. Fergie had a rather otherworldly experience one day as in the airport he met the ghost of Sid Vicious. Unfortunately for Fergie and Sid, their exploits drew the attention of the Dorothy who is the Director of the Department of Extra-Usual Affairs. Last time we saw Fergie and Sid they were off to London as Fergie was trying to find his father.

In Punks Not Dead: London Calling #1 Fergie and Sid have made it to London and are starting to track down some leads. Much like the rest of his life, some of the people that he meets are not quite what they look like on the outside. Meanwhile Dorothy and her team are trying to convince the local police that they will be taking over the Fergie case, and Natalie is dealing with the results of her interactions with Fergie before he left.

If you have been a fan of the Punks Not Dead series so far, the good news is that the London Calling storyline brings back everything that you remembered from before. Barnett’s writing is compelling, interesting, and it has the reader engaged from the first panel. We get to meet some new and unique characters in this first issue, while also keeping the heart and soul of the story. The interactions between Sid and Fergie continue to provide bits of humor throughout an otherwise serious plot and dialogue. While many of the pieces that made the first series enjoyable are still there, Barnett introduces some new elements to the story including a possible cult type element. It is a move that helps to add depth and keep the story from becoming stale and one dimensional.

Much like before, the art is bright and engaging. The use of neon colors throughout helps the art to pop off the pages. Both Dorothy and Sid are drawn in a way that makes them feel larger than life in the panels and it represents who they are as characters. I do not want too give to much away, so I am trying not to talk about some of the more brilliant artistic movies. However, there is a two-page panel after Fergie gets to the club that I could not help but to stare at and take in all the brilliant details.

Verdict: Buy it?!

As I said in the review, if you were a fan of the first arc then Punks Not Dead: London Calling is a must pick up. The story’s natural continuation allows for readers to jump right back into the story like a comfortable pair of pajamas. If you did not read the first arc, do so and then pick up right here and follow along each month.