THE REVENGE #1 Review

Who or what is the Revenger? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

Griffin Franks was a joke in Hollywood. A washed up action-hero. Over the hill. Past it. A has-been. A barely-was. But now he IS The Revenger. He’s a star. His movie’s a hit. His latest wife is hot. He finally has everything he wants. Just in time for someone to take it all away. Forever. Starting with his face.

This series gets a mature rating, and with good reason. I don’t think I’ve ever read a series that has had as quite much gore and nudity as Revenge does, and I’m sure this’ll put certain comic fans off this series. I personally however am far from put off, as although I don’t personally care for nudity I most definitely enjoy gore. In addition to this the nudity also didn’t hurt the issue, working well alongside the movie like theme.

Jonathan Ross is probably most well known as a UK talk show host, but over the last few years he’s proven to be a brilliant comic book writer as well. Ross has created a very suspenseful and emotionally driven story in Revenge, with it also introducing the characters and future plot developments perfectly. Ross also handles the movie style theme brilliantly, showing a Hollywood star that utilises his fame, and how age has affected his career. On top of this Ross also shows the power that certain ideas have, and how a single decision can change a persons life forever.

Ian Churchill is the latest artist to work alongside Ross, following fellow greats Tommy Lee Edwards and Bryan Hitch. Churchill however may very well be the best artist that Ross has worked with yet, as his smooth yet gritty art style is simply perfect for this series. He gives a brilliant balance between the graphic nature and the realism, with the characters facial expressions also adding a lot of depth and emotion. The best part of Churchill’s art however had to be his marvellous layouts, as not only did they help the issue flow smoothly between the flashbacks and the present, but they also gave a unique look for this story.

The Revenge gets off to a terrific start, as although it’s graphic nature may put some fanboys off, there are plenty more that will love this grindhouse style tale. Highly recommended.