ARMOR I
Writer Marcel Dupree
Pencils Carlos Trigo
Inks Gulliver Vianei
Colors Andrea Celestini
Letters and Design E.T. Dollman
Editor Richard Still
BARANZU
Writer Marcel Dupree
Art Joel Cotejar
Colors Franco Riesco
Letters E.T. Dollman
Editor Richard Still
Baranzu created by Marcel Dupree and Joel Cotejar
Cover A by Carlos Trigo, Jimmy Reyes, and Andrea Celestini
Cover B by Joel Cotejar and Andrea Celestini
Armor I Logo by Joel Cotejar
Baranzu Logo by Joel Cotejar
As a reviewer of indie comics I see a lot of stuff; the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. I see some stuff that’s clearly rough in idea and art, I see some stuff that is well thought out and looks beautiful, and more often than not I see stuff that is a combination of the two. Armor I falls into the category of well thought out and beautiful. This review will be something like the third or fourth I’ve done for Evoluzione, and particularly with writer Marcel Dupree, and I can say with certainty that Dupree is a very skilled world builder. Dupree’s world building skills is an honorable nod to old school writing styles reminiscent of some of the greats that blended character development while building an extensive world. Building a huge world with aliens and alien politics that are clear to the reader while developing a main character is hard to do, but Dupree has done it, and done it at the highest level. Armor I’s main protagonist is compelling and has personality to boot while the alien worlds are equally as interesting. What I enjoy about Armor I and Dupree’s writing style is the balance. Dupree balances the pace of exploration in the alien world and character development with Jason the main protagonist and leaves me wanting more from issue two but he does it in a way that doesn’t make me feel like I was ripped off. A lot of times I feel like folks just put filler pages to keep the page count up while not really moving along the story but in the case of Armor I the story is always front and center but the hook at the end is just enough to keep me wanting an issue two.
The art of Armor I is very nice, there are hints of an anime style mixed with a cartoon like style, and the mixture is a match made in artist heaven. I really enjoy the cartoon style especially for stuff that is geared towards the younger audience; and no one can deny that anime has big pull for a lot of artists and their styles, but what Trigo has done is what all good artists do, he has melded styles and made things his own. Although folks like Trigo deserve their praise there is something about the colorist that puts the art together. Celestini uses a bright and fun color palette but much more muted than an anime further helping to set this book apart from a full blown anime. Again, what sets Celestini apart is the influence versus the willful pilfering of style. Both artists work well together and compliment each other’s styles making Armor I’s art stand on it’s own two feet and hang in running for one of the best young adult books around.
You can follow Armor I on Facebook and it’s available on Comixology and Indy Planet, plenty of places to armor up!
