Release date: March 2014
Writer: Tom Plant
Artist: Tom Plant
Cover: full color
Interior: full color
Category: all ages
Synopsis: Two stories based in the delightful seaside hellhole of Sunshine Bay.
The Deal
I was visiting York in the United Kingdom for a few days attending the British Fantasy Awards Convention and I stumbled on a little comic store in down-town York called The Traveling Man. That's where I found this little gem. The beautiful watercolor cover drew my attention immediately and I think it was the first comic I grabbed from the lower shelf where all the small press comics were.The Feel
The cover is slightly thicker than the interior pages, but they're all the same art-paper. If there ever was an example of how important it is to choose the right kind of paper for the job then this is it. The paper really makes the artwork shine and almost lifts it off the pages. The landscape A5 booklet has been folded and saddle stitched twice evenly along the spine. All interior pages look perfectly aligned. Very good printing job.
The Stories
This comic houses two very nice stories. The first one is 'The Legend of Big Jim' and the second is 'The Metal Detector'. The stories flow into each other effortlessly although they are two different stories. I really like that, very inventive and creative. The stories aren't big, but they do make you think. Especially the first one. I think there's a message in there somewhere I just can't quite put my hand on it, probably because of the ending. Nice twist there, certainly didn't see that coming. The ending to the second story made me laugh out loud, I could so imagine that happening.
The Look
Every pane is a work of art. I love the full color watercolor. No lined panes in order to keep the art contained but Plant just let them roam free and flow. I love it! Characters are well made and thought out. They fit the stories seamlessly. The colors are very rich and I'm glad the printer was able to capture that richness, as I said the paper it's printed on is very important, this could have gone so wrong on plain stock paper, but this just makes it come alive even more. Panes go from very detailed to less so if there's no call for it, great vision. Hand written and very legible lettering that fits the art and is not intrusive. The front and back covers make the whole comic look like a postcard, it even has a stamp printed on it.
The Conclusion
Well done! I can't think of anything that could have been done better. I absolutely loved it, a little work of art in my hand. Kind storytelling that will suit all ages. Not too much lettering, but leaving something to the imagination. Price is a bit steep, but it's all gone into the printed and it looks the part.How to get a copy?
A local comic store in the United Kingdom should have this on their shelves. It will set you back about 4,50GBP. If they don't have it in stock just nag them until they do or alternately just go to Tom Plants website store where you can also find some other art by the man himself.
