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MisFit City Vol. 1
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Story: Kirsten ‘Kiwi’ Smith & Kurt Lustgarten
Pencils/Inks: Naomi Franquiz
Colors: Birttany Peer
Letters: Jim Campbell
Cover: Naomi Franquiz & Birttany Peer

‘MisFit City Volume 1’ is a bind up of the first four issues of the ‘MisFit City’ comic. The comic is a fun mystery style story with a tongue-in-cheek reference to ‘The Goonies’. It made me nostalgic for Scooby-Doo style mysteries and has been described as ‘Lumberjanes’ with a more adult cast. The story involves a hunt for the hidden treasure of a fierce female pirate captain and her band of Polynesian warriors. As the women strive to find answers, they run into greedy family members grasping at inheritances and plenty of shady characters skulking around in the dark.

‘MisFit City’ features a diverse cast of smart and adventurous young women living in a small town famous as the filming location in the cult classic movie ‘The Gloomies’ (wink,wink). Each of the characters are distinct with a personality type that might connect with all different kinds of readers.

There’s the pagan hippie, Karma who reads tarot cards and likes to hold seances. Her sugary sweet personality is balanced by Macy, the snarky, tough rocker who is in a band with her brother. Every investigative team needs a book nerd researcher and Dot fills this role perfectly. Edwina is the team’s lesbian tomboy who is a techie and mechanics geek. Finally, Wilder, who feels like our primary protagonist, is the group’s amateur sleuth and driving force behind many of their adventures.

What I really loved about the characters is the purposeful and noticeable representation of a variety of body types, races, genders, sexual orientations, and religious backgrounds. Not only are the primary characters diverse and relatable, there is representation in the cast of background characters as well.

Besides the cast, what I really enjoyed about this series is the atmospheric nature of the location. I kept thinking this would be a cute, light-hearted read around Halloween. As we traipse through the town seeking clues, we visit a creepy old museum, an old mansion, and a lighthouse.

The art style has a very sketchbook look with bold lines and lots of shadowing that creates a creepy vibe. Otherwise the colors are rich and used expertly to give each of the characters their own identity. When the story transitions into flashbacks of historical references, these colors are more muted to create a dream-like feel.

I really enjoyed this comic. It was a fast, fun read and left plenty of room for further development in the story. I think there is a lot of potential for character growth, adventure, and even a little romance. I would definitely recommend this for readers who enjoy mysteries and comics that bring nostalgic feelings for exploration and adventure.

Frankie Reads