Crowded #1
Publisher: Image
Story: Christopher Sebela
Pencils: Ro Stein
Inks: Ted Brandt
Colors: Triona Farrell
Letters: Cardinal Rae
Cover: Ro Stein & Ted Brandt
Crowded #1 is a glimpse into the not-so-distant future where everything from short-term, high interest loans, to contract killing is controlled by apps and crowdfunding. The main characters are two street-smart women who live fast lives hustling in this uncomfortably familiar reality. Charlie is a master multi-tasker who is making a killing using apps to find quick jobs and business opportunities. Vita is a mercenary who makes a killing by contracts herself out as a bodyguard and some time assassin.
Charlie is going about her business, moving and shaking, when the shooting starts. A quick check on an app reveals a sizable contract has been taken out on her life. She doesn’t know who wants to kill her or why. So she hires the first available mercenary. She barely manages to make the meet when more would-be killers emerge and the ladies are on the run.
This story feels like science-fiction realism because we can see so many parallels to our world. As I was reading I felt shock at the detached and automated nature of it all, then resigned as I realized this world isn’t so different from my reality. This comic moves in rapid fire bursts of action and storytelling in a way I really enjoyed. It jumps off quickly and there is no room to get your bearings before the bullets start flying. The rhythm of the story perfectly translates the insane pace of trying to keep up in this brave new world. Nothing is personal, it’s all about the next click and swipe. The story line reminded me of The Purge in that it seemed perfectly normal for everyday people to be involved in murder for hire schemes. Somehow contract killings have become a normalized and commonplace thing.
The artwork in Crowded is bright and sharp with special touches in the text boxes to indicate flash-backs versus present day story lines. There are a lot of creative moments I really enjoyed. One shining example is the way Stein & Brandt reveal Vita’s home. The reader peering in with a dollhouse to view all the rooms. It was fun to follow the characters room to room, all in one big panel. I liked the contrast between Charlie’s colorful femininity and Vita’s more athletic and pragmatic personality. Charlie is a wild child who just wants things to go back to “normal”. Vita is a bad-ass who knows how to survive and keep her clients alive. She faces each challenge head on with dry resignation.
This story has a ton of potential for a fun mystery, a tense and exciting relationship between the two main characters, plus lots of action in between. I’m excited to see what the creators of Crowded have in story for us in future issues.
Frankie Reads
frankiereads@comicattack.net
