Review Copy Review - Local #1

Let's start out this review by saying: If you liked Demo, then you will like this book. It's got the same pacing and story style. It's very much its own story, but readers of Demo will slip comfortably into the pages and feel the comfort of a familiar narrative. Reading this felt like curling up with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book. It's the comfort food of comic books, and that's a good thing.

If you haven't read Demo, then I think it's safe to say that this is a very good book to give a try. Brian Wood has a solid sense of storytelling, and his characters manage to come alive with just a few lines of dialogue. I'm not quite as fond of Ryan Kelly's artwork, I think I miss Becky Cloonan's fine work, but maybe Kelly will grow on me. And I have to say, although I'm not yet keen on Kelly's style, the background detail is excellent. The Portland train station is instantly recognizable, and the store looks like a store.

Like Demo, each issue of this series will stand alone, but unlike Demo, certain characters will reappear, so if you read the whole 12 issue run, you'll get more out of it. Again, the first issue is a good one for a tryout.

For those who've read Demo, this is more like the later books in the series, in which you sometimes weren't sure if the characters had any real "powers" or not. As with those, it doesn't matter. The story is still compelling. It was good enough that I read it once then flipped right back to the beginning and read it again.

In short, it's a good book. And don't be afraid of missing it: This book is due out November 9th from Oni Press, so if you're interested, pre-order it now. I recommend it.