Broken Frontier

Icarus #1 is the first issue of a series that appears to have a lot of promise.  The idea of a government worker contracted to kill super-powered individuals is an interesting one, and the series seems to be setting up the stage for some pretty interesting plotlines, but this first issue is relatively uneventful. 

The writer, Ryan Cody, (who also wears the creator and illustrator hats for this book) hints at some of the various interesting and complicated ways to kill a super-powered individual, including using meteor fragments and sonic screams, which would have been incredible to see, but he chooses to feature two assassinations using normal guns with normal bullets.  He explains the intricacies of the process, but from an artistic and storytelling perspective, it could have been more exciting.

Also, a few things happen that don’t make much sense in context, and don’t seem to lend much to the story.  Perhaps these things will play a larger role later on, but in this issue they only served to slow down the story. For instance, when the main character is in pursuit of the energy-wielding villain, he is tripped by a group of thugs and falls on his face.  This seemed like a random occurrence in this issue, and was quickly resolved with no consequences.

The issue did end in an interesting twist, but it seemed to end mid-sentence instead of as a cliffhanger.  Without giving too much away, a reveal like that often accompanies a lead-in or promise by the main character which drives the story into the next issue, but the casual statement and confused expression on the character's face takes away from the gravity of the situation, and makes the story feel like it trails off.

On the art side, Cody’s artwork is simplistic but portrays a lot of feeling.  There is a wide range of variation between the different characters, which makes for very interesting looking scenes. Cody also captures still moments incredibly well, like the moment the bullet penetrates his victim’s head or when the stray specks of snow hang in the air after the main character gets tripped.  His style has the same crime noir feel that Michael Oeming’s Powers has, which works well for the story.  There is a definite secret and conspiracy feel to this title, and the art direction definitely complements that theme.

A few things could use a little work, though, like the lettering.  Many times throughout the story, the letters seem to float on top of the art, instead of become part of it.  The instance where the girl has a book on her nightstand is a good example of this.

Perhaps the best element of the story is the character of Manny.  She is, put simply, interesting.  The burden and wisdom she conveys coupled with the quirkiness of her constant mask-wearing gives her a strange appeal. 

Icarus #1 gives the reader a taste of bigger things to come, and introduces the major players of the title.  Though it can be a little slow at times, the big reveal at the end of this issue shows us that the creator, writer and illustrator, Ryan Cody, has bigger things in store.