The Nobodies #1 Review
Summary: The hook is unique enough to distinguish itself from such lore but unless this creative team manages to market this outside of a zombie tale, there is a high potential for this story to become just another zombie tale.
4
Zombies!
Review By: Kerry Craigwell
Writer: John Vinson
Penciler/ Inker: Ger Curti
Greyscaler: Ariel Iacci
Letterer: Kel Nuttall
Editor: Steve Forbes
Hey all. The date is February 8, 2014 and today I’ll be reviewing another independent comic titled The Nobodies By John Vinson. One of the best parts of this medium is the ability to introduce, create and revel in a world that may be unwanted or unfeasible. The Nobodies is one such story which dares to go into a pretty dark space.
The intro of The Nobodies finds us reading the words of the 96th President, a drug dealer by the name Marshall Howard. We are somewhere in the future where the Rapture, Christian End of Times, has taken placed. Apparently the rich, wealthy and overall best of us are the main partakers in this affair. As with most things religion has a very polarizing affect but if you aren’t bold enough to choose a side, how will you know if the public will accept it or not? John makes the bold decision to categorize our worst fears and places The Rapture as an affair to take the socially approved best of us.
Does that mean this isn’t a Rapture at all and that there may be plenty worth saving who are left? That is one mystery that is left to be seen. While I do appreciate the stance and charm used to introduce us to Marshall, I wonder what is his lasting effect as his listed form of currency, hemp, makes no appearance in this issue. Neither does Marshall. However the mystique added from his note to the audience is a smart and likable move, especially since it gives us a voice of the country we once knew. What has driven America to employ a Marijuana Producer as the leader of the Free World? The story dares to give that reason.
Enter Iggy, our dazed and confused protagonist, who enters the world like us, not knowing what America looks like or what our fellow citizens act like or even what it means to survive The Rapture. That said the base of the story assumes after we are stripped of our laws and constructs, humanity will modify its rules to survive. It is a fair assumption and there have been more than enough studies to prove that given a new environment, new laws will be established. One such law that is tacit, there will be no indiscriminate murders. It is okay, however, to have sex with a human devoid of humanity. The Nobodies appear to be walking coma patients, except they drool and have complete motor functions in tact. They also have access to memories, as there is a wonderful scene in a grocery store showing there is a shred of humanity left in The Nobodies. All of this is seen through the eyes of our newcomer, Iggy, and his warden, Tom.
John and his team have an interesting gem on their hands. Page by page John displays a solid grasp of comic book story telling that made it a joy to read. The choice of revealing Iggy’s identity late was smart and John’s display of suspense building and establishing mystery along with using clues given to strengthen his story were phenomenal. John has much potential in the world of comics. Ger’s artwork has a bit of grime that resembles what I would expect of The Walking Dead which adds a flair of filth needed to truly get our cast. The team would get a 5/5 with extra stars just based on how they brought such an interesting concept to life. Easily this comic is a must read for comic fans and while it won’t change the medium it is exactly the kind of story that is missing; an honest, throat grabbing draw into an unknown world.
The team is so amazing at what they do I am almost forced to review it a bit differently. The truth is this team and John Vinson can easily become a name within the comic book world. Here is the problem. The market is saturated with many would be creators jumping on the zombie craze and by all accounts, once a person is listed as brain dead, publicly they are viewed as a zombie. Does the world need another zombie tale? Easily the answer would be no. The hook is unique enough to distinguish itself from such lore but unless this creative team manages to market this outside of a zombie tale, there is a high potential for this story to become just another zombie tale. I would hate for this story to enter such a bottomless pit as it represents what an independent comic can be, an amazing tale daring enough to break the rules and still bring to the table a comic worth reading.
Market the story a bit differently and you all will be gold. I’m rooting for this team 100%!
4.5/5
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