THE ARCS Review

Is there enough within this independent title to garner your attention and support? Read on to find out.

The official description from Fanboy Comics:

How strong is your faith? Centuries after God’s abdication from the Earth, the seven Archangels are trapped in a losing war against Lucifer and his demonic forces. Unable to ascend into heaven, unable to even die, the Arcs were tasked by the Almighty to keep humanity safe from Lucifer until His return. But as time ticks on, as more and more angels are clawed to shreds by the demons, as angels begin to lose faith and join the hellions, the Arcs must face the real question: what if God isn’t coming back to save them?

Let’s start this off in a simple way: the answer to the starting question is yes.  This is one graphic novel that’s more than worth the price of admission because what we get here is a full story with detailed visuals and thrilling spectacles that will tickle the fancy of anyone who has, even for a moment, felt an inclination toward the supernatural. The best part is that it’s not too heavy handed, but rather finessed in a way that gives the franchise room to find an eager or willing audience. To sum up: strap yourself in and prepare for a high-flying adventure!

Let’s dig-in to the meaty portion of these festivities as the script by Michael D. Poisson simply jumps off the page in ways I did not expect. The concept here is fairly straightforward, the almighty has left stewardship and all the responsibilities therein to his host of heavenly protectors. Sadly, since he’s been gone, they’ve been left to fight a war that they’re losing. Demons run rampant and the numbers of Angels still able to fight are swiftly dwindling.  It’s in that atmosphere that this author jumps right in and concocts a tale of intrigue. With any text there are bound to be some shortcomings, and sadly to say the prominent one found here belonged to the way in which some of the minor details were revealed. Several of them came off as second nature extensions of plot we already knew, or more to the fact they just didn’t seem necessary to the broader arc before us. Still in the end the bulk of the narrative holds strong as the struggling players offer strategies in this desperate hour. From the slight shades of political maneuvering to the foreshadowing of things to come, the talent barely misses a beat.

The illustrations however impress as they remind me of work done by the legendary, Kevin Eastman. Matt Jacobs nails each characters by delivering unique personalities that were clearly outlined by the writer’s own intent. But its from those humble beginnings that we see some very dynamic renditions. Simple and sketchy, in the best sense of the word, every portion of this book is carefully realized with just enough magnetism to make it all work. From the creature designs to the backgrounds I found myself drawn into the battles by the mere actions of this visual component. That said I did find some of the earlier pages to be less consistent, as some bodily deformities left me disappointed. To sum up: there’s a lot to love but there were some sequences that felt confusing at a glance, but these were few and far between.

The packaging for this whole affair is rather simple and tasteful. There are no extra features to it, but the first volume of The Arcs comes binned firmly together. If I could offer any advice for the next edition, I would recommend some inner-story page breaks. There are chapter markings but there’s not gap to really signify their departure, instead we’re left with additional text that for me just didn’t get the job done. I also would love some additional sketch pieces or perhaps an interview with the creative team just before we reach the ultimate conclusion of this trek.

The Arcs is a fun graphic novel that hits on quite a bit of material that I found intriguing. Whether you’re invested in divine lore, or find yourself adopting an atheist lifestyle I’m convinced there will still be plenty for you to enjoy. There are shortcomings to be certain, but all things considered I can honestly say I closed this book pleasantly surprised and anticipating what should be an exciting follow up.

Take my advice and support this independent publication, believe me you will not regret it.

4/5