Writer: Jamie Me Art: Toni Doya Publisher: Self-published
This review covers the first issue. We don't have insight into the entire story arc, so this review will only cover the first 20-ish pages of the story.
WHAT IS IT?
The first issue of an Adults Only story of romantic coupling that, through a comedy of errors, may turn into something more.
It'll probably remind you of your favorite raunchy rom-com.
WHAT'S IT ABOUT?
(Minor Spoilers)
When Ajay & Natalie hooked up, they likely never planned for things to last past that night.
Then, Ajay fell out the window.
Naked.
He survived, which was great, but not without people taking lots of pictures and posting them to social media, outing him as the superhero Jump.
Now, Ajay has to navigate both a difficult romantic life AND the repercussions of his secret identity being outed.
And that's just the first issue!
WHAT WORKS?
The banter in this is really natural and enjoyable
The main character isn't another boring white dude
It's a new twist on the classic superhero genre
It feels very true-to-life, rather than an over-the-top superhero story -- the superhero aspects take a backseat to the personal life ones
There are a lot of superhero stories that try to show how the heroes are real people, but this is the first one that truly feels grounded in reality
Credit to Doya & Callahan for drawing nudes so well -- that can be really difficult, especially in comics!
Me's writing shows so much vision and talent and love for the medium, I'm surprised he's not already writing superhero comics for The Big 2
All of START AGAIN feels professional and well-crafted and fully realized, not like an indie comic by folks who don't yet know what they're doing
Seriously, look at the page below -- this team knows what they're doing, and they're talented as hell
WHAT DOESN'T WORK?
As you may have figured out by the content warning in the cover image, this comic is not for kids and NSFW (Not Safe For Work)
It's got adult themes, sex, nudity, language...the works
I feel like the way this first issue ends gets overused in media, but it's definitely an effective way to escalate relationships between two people very quickly in a situation that's true to life
If you're looking for superhero fights and explosions in this metahuman book, you won't find them here (at least, not in this first issue)
Can't really call out too much else so early on! All in all, it's a solid piece of work.
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
If you want a truly adult superhero story that focuses more on interpersonal relationships than on fights and explosions, this is a promising first issue from a clearly talented team.
WHAT DO I READ NEXT?
If you like the writing:
Queen by Jamie Me & Bernard Gita
Puc, The Artist by Miles Greb & Garrett Richert
Sunstone, Vol. 1 by Stjepan Šejić
If you like the art:
Ingress by Benjamin Truman, Toni Doya & Logan Lubera
Astonishing X-Men Omnibus by Joss Whedon & John Cassaday
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Pia Guerra
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Jamie Me – Writer, Letterer, Creator & Designer
Multitalented: Is often hired as a letterer, but has also written some successfully Kickstarted comics (this being one of them!)
Outlander: Hails from England
Toni Doya – Illustrator
Outlander: Lives in Spain
Works in digital and traditional inks
Sean Callahan – Colorist
New Face: Has only been working in comics professionally for 4 years
Was taught by comics art & coloring pro, Chris Sotomayor
HOW DO I BUY IT?
You can only get this comic through Jamie Me's Kickstarters.
The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.
All Jamie Michael Evans characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright Jamie Michael Evans or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.