Reviewed by Meghan Sullivan
Eighteen-year-old Spry has just learned that he is a member of the hunted race of shape shifters known as Shapers—and that his newfound parents have been captured by the all-powerful Caliphate. Determined to rescue his parents, Spry discovers that the best bounty hunter in the galaxy owes his mom a favor . . .
Writer: Eric Heisserer
Penciller: Ace Continuado
Inker: Adelso Corona
Colorist: Wes Dzioba
Cover Artist: Felipe Massafera
“Eighteen-year-old Spry has just learned that he is a member of the hunted race of shape shifters known as Shapers—and that his newfound parents have been captured by the all-powerful Caliphate. Determined to rescue his parents, Spry discovers that the best bounty hunter in the galaxy owes his mom a favor . . .”
Shaper is an ambitious sci-fi adventure and I’m very grateful it gives us a “Story of far” introduction to kick off book two. Given the fast-paced tale, it is much needed. But even with the story so far, it takes a few pages to really get involved in the story. But when the action kicks off, it doesn’t stop. Eric Heisserer (screenwriter of Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), Hours) has given us a wild, western space tale reminiscent of Firefly. Spry is tracking down Rand the Galaxian, a famous bounty hunter, using a trading card of sorts. Lucky for him, Rand’s card is fairly accurate which isn’t the case with another card in Spry’s possession. Quite the team appears to be assembling “with a taste for suicidal destinations.”
In book 1, Felipe Massafera (Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, Captain Midnight) provided the art while We Dzioba colored. Book 2 has shifted to pencils from Ace Continuado and inks from Adelso Corona. The art is clean and distinct but still maintains the essence from the first book. The warm tones used with Spry contrast nicely with the cool ones used in Cal Victus’s panels and help you know when you’ve shifted viewpoints. And with a tale this complex, small cues like this make a difference.
It’s a wild ride that you’ll want to read a couple times just to catch the subtleties in the expression and the action once the story becomes clear. It’s worth the effort and I recommend checking it out and looking forward to what happens next.
Shaper #2 released on April 15, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment