Nonplayer #1

This book caught my eye after abstaining from comics for about 6 months. The cover (and interior) art is beautiful, and the techno-sci-fi-fantasy concept apeals to me as well. But the thing that really made me turn my head was the fact that it "sold out before it even hit the stands." Now I don't usually fall for that type of marketing hype-- that's classic Image. Under-print a potentially "hot" book to generate buzz and create a subset of rabid fans clamoring to pick up the first issue. Admittedly I am one of those fans who has to have 1st printings, and hates trades (I don't hate trades, but I would much rather have all the issues.) So I gave in and decided to see what the fuss was about, spending a little more money than I should have on one book.
There are plenty of plot summaries out there, so I won't do that here. But, I really thought it was fantastic. Right away the story has a little intrigue, and some tension. Most of the concepts are fairly well-trodden, but I knew that going into the book. Nothing groundbreaking here (it's only the first issue), but it's not distractingly bad like some rote sci-fi/fantasy books. According to the creator's blog, he has some real twists coming early on in the series.

As stated above, the art is nothing short of beautiful. I am a big fan of this style of work: thin, detailed lines, expansive landscapes, and eye-popping digital coloring. It reminds me of Geof Darrow, the late Seth Fisher, and James Stokoe. I would prefer a bit wider palate for the color; many of the pages take place in the orangish-muted world of "Jarvath," but I assume the creator knows what he is doing by establishing a unique style for the book.

So what's the problem with this book? Well you have one man, Nate Simpson, doing all the work and that takes A LOT of time! Fortunately Simpson keeps a blog and seems to be very communicative with his fanbase. Offering prints and other tid-bits to keep you enticed till the next issue, but still... If this book makes it out once a month it will be a miracle! Take a look at Shaolin Cowboy (Darrow), that book is nearly averaging one issue per year. Or James Stokoe's Orc Stain, which has pushed out 6 issues in the last year and a half.

One of the reasons for this, of course, is the extremely demanding workload it requires to handle all the duties on your own. Especially considering the high level of detail and care that goes into these books. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on these creators, its their art and the scheduling mishaps are largely unavoidable. But it really disrupts the flow in a medium where pacing is everything. I would hate to see the book cancelled due to low sales because no one can get "attached" to the characters and the story.

I really hope Mr. Simpson can avoid these pitfalls and continue to create compelling and visually stunning stories for us to read. I for one will be watching him, and this title closely. There is a lot of potential for it to blow up (then maybe he can get some interns ;-)). I'm definitely looking forward to the next one, and this title will be on my pull list for as long as its out there!