Writer Felipe Cagno
Artist Fabiano Neves
Colors Dinei Ribeiro and Ivan Nunes
Letters by Deyvison Manes
Art and Colors Page 22 Giovanna Guimaraes
Variant Covers Rod Reis and Mateus Santolouco
Regular Cover Felipe Watanabe and Marcelo Costa
President of Think Alike Productions Benjamin Charbit
Published by Timberwolf Entertainment
Distributed by Think Alike Productions
The Few and Cursed is part of a rather large group of Kickstarter’s I backed a few months ago and have been trying to keep up with reviews of stuff I back. I love giving to Kickstarter more than anything because it helps these artists bring their creation to life and the artist team behind The Few and Cursed have something here that they should be proud of. I even have my name in the end credits!
When I think about comic book art a certain style gets stuck in my head. I suppose I could research the style and do a more thorough job at identifying different styles so I can do a better job at reviewing but until I start getting paid for these little articles I’m just going to let the audience pick up these issues and see for themselves what I consider one of the best comic book styles out there. In case anyone is lost on the meaning, this art is what I consider one of the best comic book art styles that there is. I can’t say too many good things about Neves, Ribeiro and Nunes, and how they brought this book to life. There are so many subtle nuances that make this art stand out I’m not sure I can pinpoint just one thing; of course the character design is marvelous but what stands out the most are all the little details they paid so much attention to. The panel layout for one thing; they have a typical layout with four or five panels that looks normal and is common in most books but they also have seriously distinctive layouts with diagonal cuts that help to emphasise action scenes and make them look more intense. Not to mention the splash pages that are nearly as beautiful as pin ups and help to layout the world and further the story through visual description. There are also things like a shot glass full of whiskey that has the look of a thick shot glass. I feel like Think Alike has some of the best artists in the indie game and because of this they shouldn’t be indie for long.
The unsung hero of comics will be praised today! Manes lettering is beyond good or average, even for the best of books. Manes drops every piece of lettering detail in this book to distinguish himself from the crowd. The captions are set with a nice paper background that mirrors the old west feel while the page captions are set over the top of what looks to be a blood smear, but whatever it is its unique and helps set Manes apart as far as talent for making his work unique. There are also little things that Manes does with other aspects of the lettering, Manes puts some words bold in sentences, outlines in bold some of the important balloons, bolds balloons and words when their clearly screaming them, and he even makes action lettering look like it is blended in by the art and color team. Manes may be another name I see pop up on my best letterer list.
I was so excited about the art I almost forgot to talk about the writing. I doubt that the artist team would have done such a great job if a writer like Cagno didn’t give them a top notch script to work with. The dialog is on point and even has a old west twang to it. It really helped to set the mood of the book as I heard things like; tis, bout, outta, and ain’t. These small and subtle additions to dialect are not so much that I have a hard time understanding the dialog but just enough to where I feel the slight shift back to the old west feel and can appreciate the direction Cagno is trying to take the reader. The idea itself is just touched on but the general premise is original and fresh; this woman is a “curse chaser” that is basically wandering the old west as a cursed bounty hunter. As I said the world building is extensive and Cagno doesn’t overload the first issue with too much but visually and dialog cues up all the reader needs to get completely immersed. This world of wasteland magic and a curse chasing BA female protagonist is just what we indie comic fans need.
The Few and Cursed #1 is available on Comixology and I’m sure the print will be available soon after they send the print Kickstarter rewards out.
