Canine crime fighters living in a domed dystopian city of the future do their best fighting against greedy corporations as public space and affordable property dwindles. So, it’s pretty much like today minus the crime fighting dogs (which I guess is debatable, depending on what your definitions of “dog” and “crime” are). Such is the world of “Scrapper” #1, in which a young and feisty Scrapper trundles around the city with his grizzled, old guard mentor (also a dog) named Tank. They do it all — scare off pesky rats, save children from drug lords/human traffickers, and plot against SMITE, the nebulous organization that does most of the landlording and security around the city of New Verona. While the story makes for a cute and effective romp, it still has room to grow and prove itself.
Written by Cliff Bleszinski & Alex de CampiCover by Sandy Jarrell
Illustrated by Sandy Jarrell
Lettered by Alex de CampiGame design genius CLIFF BLESZINSKI (Gears of War, Fortnite) makes his comics debut with critically acclaimed writer ALEX DE CAMPI (DRACULA, MOTHERF**KER!, PARASOCIAL) and fan-favorite artist SANDY JARRELL (Bombshells, Lynx)! Blade Runner-style action mixes with big emotions as stray dog Scrapper and his buddy Tank fight for justice against the totalitarian forces of a post-apocalyptic domed city. But when the fight comes to his home, Scrapper will face losing what’s most important to him—and gain a terrifying truth in the process. (Don’t worry, Mom. The dog doesn’t die.)
Back in May, this book was at the top of our July list, and now “Scrapper” #1’s time has come. What originally got us interested was the combination of creators coming together to make this thing happen. Bleszinski is a bit of an X Factor, having worked on videogames and in various different industries. After reading “Scrapper” #1 and the afterword, it’s clear that he’s the heart and soul of this story. Alex de Campi brings the writing chops however, and after all is said and done we’re left with a good story and better kickoff point for the rest of the series.
The use of the word “good” here is deliberate. “Scrapper” #1 is, well good. The story is paced well, the characters each have a distinct personality, and the worldbuilding is strong enough to not look like a totally copy-pasted, AI generated mishmash of scary dystopian whatever. That being said, does it have Blade Runner style action and big emotions? Eh, kinda-sorta-not really. Don’t get us wrong, “Scrapper” #1 is good, but it’s not especially energetic, groundbreaking, revelatory, or swinging with much emotional heft yet. And honestly, that’s okay. Image Comics is the place for passion projects and stories like this that have a good heart and strong direction, but an overall gestalt “umph” that really takes it to the next level. Of course, this is all totally subjective, and maybe someone will find that “Scrapper” #1 calls out to the part of them that really needed to be spoken to, and all power to that person. To be more speciic, while the writing and concept in “Scrapper” #1 are fine, some of the dialogue feels a little exposition-y, and some of the jokes feel a little tired (a pigeon quipping, ‘notice me senpai’ to Scrapper and Tank feels especially superfluous). Again, maybe there’s someone who will like the little glimmers of goofiness in “Scrapper” #1, but moments like these certainly narrow its appeal. All that being said, the ending (we won’t spoil it) of “Scrapper” #1 does add some more nuance and depth to the story, so it’s totally possible that further releases lead to the depth promised in the comic’s solicit. Maybe this is a long way of saying that as far as animal stories go, you could do a lot worse than “Scrapper” #1 but it’s no Beasts of Burden, at least not yet.
Sandy Jarrell’s art really goes a long way in giving “Scrapper” #1 its pleasant feel. Hatchmarked, textured images give the comic a classic feel. This feels like something you’d pull off the stand and devour, which seems like the energy “Scrapper” #1 is trying to evoke. The panels in “Scrapper” #1 are clean and uncomplicated. The action is dynamic, and well drawn. It’s not too violent and not too messy, but still exciting enough to keep us turning pages. Additionally, there’s good use of perspective as we often see things from the POV of dogs, birds, rats, giant killer robots, etc. Jarrell is nimble in the frame, and every page feels well portioned and all the space is well used. Given the story has so many shifting perspectives, we’re grateful for the lack of vertigo. On top of that, all the colors in this thing pop and there’s not a muddy page among them.
Overall, “Scrapper” #1 is a good story, and while it might not splash or dazzle, there’s enough here to keep us interested in future installments. The dogs seem sweet, the plot is intriguing, and the pictures are nice to look at. How much more can you really want?
Final Verdict: 7.5 Sporting a robust story and plenty of spunk, “Scrapper” #1 is an enjoyable if not groundbreaking story.
