The Infinite Vacation

The Infinite Vacation #1

Written by Nick Spencer
Art by Christian Ward

Action Ash
I wasn't even aware that this was written by Nick Spencer, of Morning Glories fame when I purchased this book. I saw it was coming out and thought it looked interesting, but it wasn't until I picked it up to read it that I saw the name and recognised it. If you've read my praise of Morning Glories then you will not be surprised when I when I say that I liked this too.

Plot: Mark lives in a world where if you're bored of your life, it doesn't matter. You can just buy the life of a another you from an alternate reality. However, no matter how many times Mark makes a switch he still ends up in the same boring dead end situations. Also versions of him are dropping like flies and he's worried that there might be reason other than chance.

In my opinion the story is original and unoriginal at the same time. It seems like I've come across this sort of thing before but it's done in an interesting way and seems to be making a point about current Internet/phone application culture. The story unfolds in a nice way and in some ways reminds me of a film or TV programme.

Aesthetically this is an interesting book. The main reason I like the art is simply because it's different from what I'm used to in mainstream comics. Ward does a great job of giving the feel that this world is like ours but completely different at the same time. One way he does this is by mixing the literal depiction of what's happening in the story with abstract colours and shapes to help portray what the characters are feeling. There is a cut and paste element to the backgrounds which I think really works and the middle pages fold out into a fantastic two page splash panel that would make a brilliant poster.

TL;DR = It is a good read and looks pretty.

3 and a half alternate reality cruising me's out of 5

Morning Glories

Morning Glories#1
Written by Nick Spencer
Art by Joe Eisma

Action Ash
I've got to be honest, I'm still not entirely sure what this is about. Six kids start at a prestigious boarding school, where things aren't quite what they seem...

That's all I can really tell you. I know it seems like a fairly bare description but I honestly don't know what else to say. I read 44 pages of well drawn, beautifully crafted and thought out comic book and I can't really tell you about it.

What I can tell you is it's brilliant!

Such an enjoyable read and great value for money. You could call it a sci-fi mystery/Teen drama story, that, although hasn't revealed much of it's overall plot, probably has a lot to offer to it's audience. This issue is mainly for introducing the main characters I suppose, and this task can sometimes be a tough one to do well and keep the readers attention. However this is handled beautifully, and the cleverly woven in comedy elements help Spencer to achieve this in a way that makes you feel like you know them without giving away too much of their history.

Visually impressive without being too flashy and in your face is the best way to describe the books artwork. Subtleties like facial expressions and mannerisms are portrayed with skill and movement and action equally so.

From its explosive beginning to its cliffhanger ending this is an extremely enjoyable ride. This is a book that proves that comics don't have to be about superheroes, ninjas, or crime to be interesting, fun and worth reading.

Plus, it has an amazing cover by Rodin Esquejo.

5 exploding chemically doused blackboards out of 5

Super Geil!