The Slip is one of the most recent Kickstarters I jumped on-board with and as soon as I saw a glimpse of what it looked like I had a feeling it could well be a title to keep an eye on.
It follows the life of Solomon Burke as he tries to survive on a planet that he just seem to fit in with and while the opening is all very high-paced and action packed it’s only when we we’re gifted some flashbacks that we realise how recently things were different for him. He had a life, a job, a loving daughter and while his wife worked all the hours god sends on a project that was going to change the world it was the public’s response to her work that changed everything.
The heartbreaking events unfold and they linger with Solomon one year later as he finds himself in a strange world and working alongside a rag-tag militia group that all seem to have targets on their back. He somehow manages to muster up the will to keep on fighting and while we see a few more glimpses of how much the heartbreak had shaped his life we’re still not entirely sure what the hell brought him to his militia days……and that’s part of the real success of this opening issue.
It’s a strange mix of action & mystery as the two intertwined plots are playing out to give us just enough information to keep turning those pages. Slick & steady pacing from writer Cody B. Stewart gives Solomon a real downtrodden feel to him which makes him almost slog through his existence but we gradually get drip-fed the reasons behind that and we’re on his side as things progress. Rafael Desquitado Jr. (who we’ve seen on Vessels from Card Shark Comics recently) teams up with Liezl Buenaventura to show us two contrasting worlds to match the plots surrounding Solomon and the use of a landscape layout gives it a real sense of scale for some of the full-page images…..but they’re then able to add sadness to his quiet moments too. HdE on lettering does a great job keeping the dialogue & narrative tight across every page to the point you almost don’t notice it as it flows so well.
A strong opener for sure but the addition of a twist at the end was a cruel thing to add though as I already had more questions as this first issue progressed but I’m hoping we’ll see the 2nd issue soon and the others quickly after that……it’s just a page-turner from the beginning.
You can find out more on The Slip and more over on Cody’s website and over on Twitter too. You can also pre-order a copy of the book through the Kickstarter campaign.
8/10
G-Man
COMICS ANONYMOUS 