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Forty-Five45
Publisher: Com.X
Writer: Andi Ewington
Artist(s): Various
Cover: Various

“Forty-Five45”: I’ve been excited about getting this book in my hands since I first read about Forty-Five45 a few months back.  From the concept of how the book was put together to the story’s premise, I knew that this was one of those books that if I didn’t pick it up I’d be kicking myself in the face for not doing so.  I didn’t care that this was Andi Ewington’s first comic venture, nor that I knew nothing of  Com.X prior to what I read on this site. What I did care about was that Forty-Five45 looked like something new and good that was on the horizon in an industry where we are consistently shoveled a huge amount of crap on a monthly basis.

Forty-Five45 is the story of journalist James Stanley interviewing individuals from various walks of life to kind of get a feel for what life might be like for his son or daughter after they are born.  He and his pregnant wife have decided to pass on the test that would let them know in advance if their child possesses the Super-S gene that will give him or her abilities far beyond that of their Norman (Normal human being) brethren.  With each meeting, James begins to see that what he thought he was going to discover and what was actually revealed to him were two different things.  From the parents of the newborn Legend who displayed his powers immediately after delivery; to former heroes like Firetrail who had gone “Vader” (a term in the book used for good guys who have gone bad); and those like 11-year-old Richard Lewis whose powers are more of a curse than anything, and how he and his mother are struggling to cope, the interviews provide a different angle of life with super powers. Each interview is totally different from the next, and through his meetings James becomes more aware that the XoDOS organization, that is mentioned by various individuals, seems to be a lot more sinister than their image has implied.  He is even warned in a few interviews that his decision to write a book on the subject undoubtedly put him on their radar, and that their top operative, The Lotus, may already be tailing him.  This revelation brings things to another level for James, but he’s already deep in this world that he’s spent a lifetime observing from the outside and there’s no turning back now.

Even though I was eagerly anticipating this book, one of  my main reservations was that with only one page of writing for each interview, I actually wondered how well we would get to know these characters and how valid they would be to the overall picture.  Well that issue was put to rest pretty early on in the book, and by the 5th interview (there are 45 in all) I forgot what I was worried about in the first place.  Now with a pretty decent number like 45, you’d think that maybe there are a few interviews that are just a waste or plain boring.  Now of course there were some I liked more than others, but Andi makes sure each and every character introduced has a purpose, even if you don’t realize it until much later in the book.  There are threads here that connect these characters on levels they don’t even know, which helps push an actual story and gives it more depth for the reader.

Now, with all of the artistic muscle behind this title it’s a no-brainer that from page to page the book looks great.  Some styles may appeal to certain readers more than others, but I’m pretty sure you’ll find quite a few that just have you staring at the page for quite some time.  I’ll also let you know that in some of the pages of art are more clues to the story.  Some of my favorites are Steve Sampson’s Rose Angel, Kenneth Rocafort’s Ultra Sonic, and Frazer Irving’s Soul Screamer, and we’re even treated to a gallery of early sketches and alternate pages.

What I didn’t like about the book could probably fill a thimble.  I had an issue with the power application of one of the characters, as he stated he would stop a runaway train by increasing his density and letting the train hit him. Even my limited physics knowledge knows that would send everyone flying forward, probably killing them in the process. The other issue was the character Lunar Blade who describes herself as a “white, working-class woman,” however the artist’s rendition makes her look of Asian descent. Like I said folks…a thimble!

Andi should be pretty damn proud of himself for the quality of work he just let loose on the comic community, as I think this title ranks right up there with Marvels. Both approach the superhuman community with a real world view by using a journalist, but that’s pretty much where the similarities stop. With each interview, regardless of the individual’s power, Andi focuses on the human part of the character and what makes that person tick. I’d suggest reading every page of the book from beginning to end, as Andi states that the reason behind there being 45 interviews is in there somewhere; and no I haven’t found it yet! I will be giving it another read through soon to see if I can uncover the mystery. Books like this don’t come around too often folks, so don’t be the guy or girl that doesn’t have this in their collection.

Andi, if you read this, I was having a cup of tea when I sat down to read Forty-Five45, and agree with you 100%!

Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net