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The Vault #1
Publisher: Image
Writer: Sam Sarkar
Artist: Garrie Gastonny
Let me just begin by saying that this story is way more than it seems on the surface. Now, that said, this tale begins off the coast of Nova Scotia, with a group of people from different backgrounds with one goal. They are trying to find treasure beneath the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. We see a couple of these members deep sea diving and checking out a previously undiscovered site that they hope contains a wealth of long lost treasure. First thing they find, though, is a Humbolt Squid that nearly tears them apart! As they are returning to the surface with their tails between their legs, a new player has just landed via helicopter. This gentleman has two things they need. First, deep pockets, and secondly, he has a robot that can dig under water indefinitely, saving them time and money, which at this point is great because they have already spent a great deal of money to only get halfway to what they hope is going to set them up for life. They agree to allow this new partner in on the find to compensate him for his services, and then they begin to make some real headway.
OK, this book really impressed me on several fronts. I initially saw this cover and that had me very interested along with the solicit. Not knowing about where this book might be heading, I guessed this might be something that just seemed like a “Deep Blue Sea” comic book. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Sam Sarkar really goes into detail about the location, the equipment, etc., that makes you feel like you’re really there. The book is dialog heavy (for a first issue and a comic book), but it’s really necessary to get the reader involved with this venture.
The second thing that impressed me was the really cool artwork by Gastonny. His depiction of the Squid was fantastic, and I imagine drawing these underwater scenes would be quite difficult, but he pulls it off very well. His style is definitely easy on the eyes, and is certainly detailed, but not to a point of being distracting. So basically, he does a great job on all aspects of this book. The final page of this book was one of the greatest teasers I’ve ever seen, as well. If that panel doesn’t get you to buy issue #2, you’ve got problems. One more thing – kudos to these guys for the first two pages of this book. They appear to have nothing to do with the story, which makes it even more intriguing. Rating 4.5/5
Click here for a great interview with the writer Sam Sarkar!
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net