The Red Ten #1
Publisher: ComixTribe
Writer: Tyler James
Artist: Cesar Feliciano (cover by C.P. Wilson III)
Colors: Guillermo Ucha
When a book starts off packed with action, it usually can hold its own only if it’s followed by a good back story. This one began with a brutal beating and gunshot to the skull. Next, we see two lovers, and as they’re “finishing up,” they both get a phone call. We learn that one of them, Daniel Lawrence, is the District Attorney, and the other, Cassie Cash, is a reporter in the same area. They both investigate the murder of a local superhero, “Red,” who was brutally murdered by a psychopath named Oxymoron.Red was part of a superhero team called The Alliance. Also, the district attorney is a former member of this group, but decided to give up the superhero life for his current situation. The Alliance is next seen shaking down every hood in town to get information on the whereabouts of Oxymoron. They beat the pulp out of the hoods, nearly to the point of killing some of them. In the end, the heroes make a startling discovery on an island where Oxymoron is allegedly hiding out. This discovery could lead to them solving the murder, or their own deaths!
Alright, this cover will definitely catch your eye while sitting on the shelf. If that’s the reason you grab it, so be it. When you dive in, you’ll be fairly surprised that this book is quite a good read. It’s sort of like a Justice League versus the Joker comic book, to make a fair comparison. The quality of the story, characters, and depth, is above average, for sure. Perhaps this is one that comic shops of smaller size won’t have, so go in and ask for them to order it and give these guys a chance.
From an artistic standpoint, the book did the story justice, and then some. Very vibrant colors, and a big splash page in the middle that showcased the team looked awesome. The characters were definitely the best part of the book’s artwork. Not that the scenery was bad, but the backgrounds didn’t stand out as much as the characters did. They were all strong looking, but not too pumped up. Everything about the book is certainly at least average, and no solid complaints can be made. The cover by C.P. Wilson III (The Stuff of Legend) is really cool. Just having him on covers alone should help this title jump off the shelves, because he has a great style! Rating 3.5/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
