Astonisher #1
Publisher: Lion Forge
Writer: Alex de Campi
Artist: Pop Mhan
Colorist: Jessica Kholinne
Cover: Pop Mhan & Jessica Kholinne
The Catalyst Prime line of titles from Lion Forge have been delivering ultra combos right out the gate and with Astonisher being the newest addition to the ranks we see another corner of this universe starting to take shape. And like everything in the Catalyst Prime world this story spins out of the aftermath of The Event which began to change things in new and dangerous ways.
The latest to be affected is tech mogul, Magnus Attarian who at first comes off as just another young millionaire with the usual set of personal issues. However, de Campi slowly gives him more layers and begins shaping him to be a character worth checking out. She also gives age old tropes a breath of fresh air when it comes to some of the supporting cast and this makes the overall story that much richer for it. There’s an effortless shift from Magnus’ every day struggles to the superhero aspect of the story as de Campi’s pacing and build up is on point.
Art duties are handled by Pop Mhan and Jessica Kholinne and for the most part they bring the necessary weight to the narrative to move the story. Mhan’s style is one that I’ve always liked when it comes to the action because there’s just some great examples of power and movement while we get some cool angles to heighten the sequences. The creature designs are hideous and otherworldly and make for an intense and gruesome fight scene. I’m still on the fence regarding Magnus’ armor design but that’s a personal thing and not a shot to how well drawn the issue is.
Astonisher #1 does what it should as an entry point and offers what comic fans ask for organically. Sure there’s some familiarity but de Campi presents it well and with a new layer of fun so it’s not really a major issue. So overall, Astonisher has what it takes to be another solid entry in the Catalyst Prime line of books and is worth checking out to see if it’s for you.
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