[Comic Publication Date: 3/26/14]
Dan Slott and Michael Allred’s Silver Surfer #1 is one far-out comic book—both literally and figuratively. Much like the image of the Surfer and his new companion depicted on the cover, this initial issue grabs hold of the reader and flies right into uncharted territory with reckless abandon, and it’s up to the reader to hang on during this wild ride. There will be plenty of downright confusion among readers that aren’t entirely familiar with the Surfer as the issue jumps around through time and space without stopping long enough to explain itself thoroughly, but the trip is surprising;y acclimating once it’s all said and done. Even as someone that has read about the character before, I was left with a few puzzling expressions while flipping through the pages, though never once did I want to stop reading about how much more madcap the Surfer’s excursion became.
Even the Surfer himself shows general surprise at what happens him throughout the course of this initial issue. No longer a herald of Galactus, the Surfer finds himself on The Impericon, a planet that he has never seen before and knows nothing about; for someone that knows each corner of the cosmos front and back, this is both alarming and intriguing. While the drive for the Surfer to explore this newfound planet is solid, it’s strange how flippant Slott’s script is in regards to the Surfer’s drastic change in allegiance to Galactus, and I can hope this time gap is filled in as the story progresses. Back on Earth, we’re introduced to a character named Dawn, a normal girl that provides a reality-based character to offset the fantastical Surfer. Her mantra of never wanting to leave her town of Anchor Bay is a bit obvious foreshadowing for the end of the issue, but it does result with one fantastic final line of dialogue that I dare not spoil here.
Rightly credited as a storyteller in this issue, Allred’s art is truly what brings this wild universe together. His rendering of the Silver Surfer is a simple design that yields a surprising amount of expression, not to mention some great poses for when he is on his board. Dawn feels entirely like an Allred creation, a vixen with a unique sense of style and blue, short-cropped hair. Of course, with one Allred comes another, and Laura Allred’s colors are nothing short of spectacular. Her talents are simply mesmerizing in the full-page spread of Impericon, which looks like a planet designed in a game of Beautiful Katamari only even more bonkers. There’s so much color in just that one spread that the entire issue could have been black and white and she would still deserve recognition.
Silver Surfer #1 launches into a far-flung adventure without much explanation, but there’s so much wackiness to explore that it’s almost for the better. Don’t expect to learn a lot about the Silver Surfer in this first issue, rather, expect to see a plethora of things you’ve never seen before.
GNN Comics Grade: VERY GOOD (7/10)
[SlideDeck2 id=9304]
Greetings true believers! John is the Comics Director of GNN and when he isn't reading books with pictures and made up words, he can be seen on twitter @thisjohnd or on Facebook. To contact him the old fashioned way, his email address is john.dubrawa@gnnaz.com.
