’Frenemies issue 1’
Written by Monty Nero.
Art by Yishan Li.
Letters by Monty Nero and Yishan Li.
Coming to Kickstarter on May 28th 2019.
I got an email from the writer of this new series Monty Nero wondering if I’d like to do a review on the first twelve pages of this book that he will be Kickstarting soon. Here’s what he had to say about the new project in that email.
‘Yishan Li and I have a new sci-fi fantasy comic coming out, updating the best of classic films like Star Wars, 2001, and Raiders with strong LGBTQ and straight characters from around the world. It's stuffed full of original plotting, incredible characters, and vivid dialogue allied to Yishan's brilliant storytelling and character design. A treat for sci-fi fans everywhere.’
This should be amazing.
Let’s see.
The Story - ‘Students at Camford University lives are transformed by a mysterious alien artefact uncovered within the ancient halls. This triggers the hunt for a LEGENDARY PLANET which once dominated our solar system, the site of incredible knowledge which could save our world - or destroy it.
Only one character can succeed and inherit the alien's knowledge and riches - but their rivalry increases when they're telepathically bound together. Given the wealth of alien and human adversaries trying to kill them, they're forced to cooperate to ensure one of them succeeds. But who will it be?’
The Review - This review is based only on what I have seen so far, the first twelve pages to be exact. In his email Monty tells me that the whole issue is done and ready to go. This is always something that a Kickstarter pledger of some experience likes to hear. There’ll hopefully be no waiting around if this particular project hits it’s total. Monty is an old hand at the crowdfunding shizzle and has always come through when I have backed his projects historically.
The cover is bright and eye-catching and makes for the sort of design that someone might reach for on impulse in a comic shop or at a convention. It’s got a couple of plain whit sections that are prone to get grubby so get that floppy in a bag asap!
This book, I would hazard a guess, is squarely aimed at the cosplay community. A notorious bunch/community/tribe who can be difficult to get to buy a comic series at the best of times in my experience. The art by Yishan Li has a bright and an almost photo realistic quality to it’s lines but retains a modern mangaesque sensibility. It is well structured in the most part but suffers from the odd lack of coherent sequential flow (the splash page I’ve included here is a prime example).
I’m really not completely sure about the story. It seems like a cosplay version of the comics series ‘Rising Stars’ by J M Straczynski from a decade or so ago. What this doesn’t have in common with that older series is that Frenemies seems rammed full of rather anodyne individuals with all the motivations of an Archie comic. I know that the copy I have is meant to be an introduction to the longer story but was it necessary to tirelessly go to each member of the cast and get them to say something to the camera. At least a couple of these came off as unconvincing stereotypes that border on insulting. (See below).
In his email to me Monty describes Yishan Li’s character designs as ‘brilliant’. I’m going to have to disagree with that bold assertion. They just seem like a series of skinny cosplayers who don’t look like they have the ability to throw a punch if they wanted to and have washed out dead-eyed personalities. Not sure if they’d be a threat to my Nan to be honest. The statement he makes that they are ‘updating the best of classic films like Star Wars, 2001, and Raiders’ is just plain laughable. (I’m hoping that he was being satirical and is fully aware of the severe lacking in art and storytelling present here? But I doubt it.)
Of course this is just my view, yours may vary. But seriously, who says ‘Holy Moley’ outside of Silver Age Superman Family issues?
There’s also a moment early on where there is a group shot and the narration ‘Why are we bound together’. Ok, as a reader we understand that concept but to hammer it home there are small bolts of white light literally joining all the characters together. The script is full of these really, really obvious and on the nose moments. I think that this book could seriously have done with the extra eye of a decent editor or at least a rethink.
They could also do with a serious rethink on the cover font - at first glance it reads as ‘NERD’ not ‘NERO’.
Not recommended.
(I wrote this review yesterday and whilst I stand by what I’ve said I do wonder if I am falling for some elaborate wind-up? I’ll say no more and wait to see how this plays out).
Here’s the link for the upcoming Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1435105183/690530403?ref=596523&token=c8814620
Many thanks for reading.
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