Zenescope was kind enough to provide me with advance copies of their mini The Waking. So you the readers are lucky enough to get an advance review for the first issue and subsequently the other three issues of the mini. Is the first issue worth buying? Well step in to the review and find out.
Before we begin if you haven’t heard of The Waking let me give you the solicitation info as provided by Zenescope:
Writer: By Raven Gregory
Artist: Vic Drujiniu
Covers By David Finch and Ebas
From the writer of Zenescope’s smash hit Wonderland trilogy, and Image Comics THE GIFT comes Raven Gregory’s newest tale of horror. In the big city, four police detectives investigating two routine murders discover that the victims of these crimes are coming back from the dead in search of those responsible for snuffing out their lives. Now the detectives are in a race against time to find the source of the recent ‘wakings’ and will be torn between doing their jobs or allowing the victims to find their own brand of bloody justice. Meanwhile, a father with an incredible ability must choose between avenging his daughter’s death or losing her forever. Check out what is sure to be one of the hottest freshest new takes on the zombie mythos in 2010. Featuring covers from superstar artists Dave Finch (Ultimatum) and Ebas (Witchblade Annual). In stores the first week of February. MATURE THEMES
So now that you know what the story is lets dive into the review shall we?
While the idea of a zombie comic isn’t the most original anymore considering the glut of zombie books out there this title seems to have a new twist on the concept Instead of having the dead rise just to wander the streets and terrorize it would appear after the first issue that there is more going on here. On this front the title gets a nod of approval. Anytime you can do something a little more original with a tried and true concept it’s a feather in your cap. The idea that these dead are coming back for some retribution is also rather fun.
Another thing this title has going for it is the snappy dialogue. It’s an entertaining read filled wit believable character interactions. You get the feel of these characters individual personalities very quickly and very effectively. Not only the interactions are well written. Another strong point of the issue is the opening. It tells you outright not to look away and then you as a reader truly have a hard time not paying attention. The payoff? You’ll have to read it to see but it’s a good one and it sure looks nice.
While Gregory’s writing is good I do have a couple minor complaints. The first is that with the characters it is easy to get a grasp on their personalities but their names is another matter all together. I had to go back through the comic after reading it to see what the characters names were because I couldn’t remember. Upon reviewing the title I found that of the four major characters, two had their names given only once, one had their name and the then a nickname once each, and the other not at all. This is a huge problem for a new title to pose to readers. It’s also a huge disservice to a title that does so well at giving us fleshed out characters.
In a new title such as this it should be a big deal for the writer to give the readers characters they can relate to which the writer did. The other part is giving them identifiable nicknames or names so that readers can talk about them or remember them. When a character isn’t given a name or it isn’t used more than once it’s hard to build that relation.
Another issue I had was that some parts seemed excessive for the sake of just being excessive. One scene in a bar in particular made me roll my eyes. The build up to the moment is hilarious and instead of giving a payoff or leaving it alone we’re given something that is just more than needs be. I can’t say too much cause I don’t want to spoil but you’ll know what I mean when you see it.
Continued belowOutside of the strong writing the art is also excellent. I was given just the penciled version, which was a pleasure to see. I hadn’t seen any of Drujiniu’s work that I can think of prior to this but I enjoyed it all. He provides some great work here that fits perfectly with the writing. The interactions would not have been as strong without the talented pencil work of Drujiniu despite how well written it was.
So what’s the verdict? I enjoyed it. I found the book to be an original twist on a genre that has lasted for decades because of its flexibility. The Waking is a title I would suggest to fans of supernatural stories and cop dramas. I’ll be reading the rest of the mini and looking to see more from both Gregory and Drujiniu in the future. I recommend that you all go out and pick this book up when it hits shelves and add it to your collection where it belongs. Then, stay tuned for more reviews because after a first issue like that I wouldn’t dare miss out on seeing it through to the end.
The Waking will be in stores the first week of February and is published by Zenescope.
