Sons of Fire Volume 1
Writer: Adam Lance Garcia
Artist: Heidi Black
A review by Amelia Wellman
Thirty years ago the town of Black Rock was nearly destroyed by a fire. The arsonist, teenager Jacob Crowe, has kept the truth behind the blaze a secret… until now. The lone survivor of a fire that took his brother and father, Jacob is unable to forgive himself for leaving his family to die. It is only when he discovers his friend Andrew Danner is something more than human that Jacob sees a way toward redemption. But for Andrew, the life of a hero risks exposing his secrets to the world, leading him to question his humanity. Together, Andrew and Jacob will begin a dark journey that leads them from the boys they are, to the men they will become; revealing that the difference between heroes and villains are the lines you’re willing to cross. Because when evil isn’t black and white, even heroes will burn.
Sons of Fire Volume 1 is a story that will shake you. Literally, my first thought after finishing it was: I am shook! This is, for all intensive purposes, a superhero origin story, but reducing it so basically does Sons of Fire a huge injustice. This is a dark and realistic story, character driven and personal in its intent. You don’t often find comics that feel personal, but I can say that those who felt different while growing up will find a lot of themselves in this story. I definitely did.
Exploring superhuman abilities through the eyes of teenagers is always so intriguing. Ages fourteen to eighteen are such a big adjustment to go through and adult often give teenagers a hard time during it. Personally, I think teenagers see the world far more fascinatingly than the rest of us and I’m always interested in a story that does their voice justice. Adults writing teenagers is usually paper thin, look at Twilight or Riverdale, they’re more likely to become caricatures than people. But Garcia perfectly captures the characters that make up the age group in Sons of Fire and it’s a delight to read. I mean, it’s emotional and gut wrenching, but it doesn’t pander to anyone and young adult graphic novel readers will recognize and appreciate that.
Since this is a superhero origin story, there are fantasy elements throughout. The fantastical elements and the mysteries tied to them are so briefly shown throughout that they’re really quite startling. You’ll want to see more of them, but less is more and Garcia plays that beautifully. He’s perfectly crafted a narrative that teases out just enough mystery and intrigue to leave you begging for more come the end of this volume’s seventy-eight pages.
And, just because I feel the need to mention it, Sons of Fire opens with a passage from the Qur’an which immediately caught my attention because I have never seen it before.
The art of Son of Fire is beautiful. I love the crisp black and white lineart and the rough, broad textures that fill them in. Since the narrative is so character driven, the art had to capture each little thing that they did or thought and Black succeeds in spades! Everyone is very expressive and environments have an impressive amount of details. Action also flows nicely, and one panel right at the end is such a stunning completion to the action that this volume ends on. I found that the lettering is a little small and faint, which is a little frustrating when trying to take in the amazing story as quickly as possible, but it’s not a deal breaker by any means.
The Verdict
Buy it! Sons of Fire Volume 1 should absolutely be part of your comic book collection! Black’s sublime artwork overlaid the emotional framework of gut-wrenching teenage angst from kids that know they don’t belong (but not for the usual reasons) is so compelling. Son of Fire Volume 1 is emotionally resounding and volume 2 cannot get into my hands fast enough!
