Comic Vine Review

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Birthright #1

5

When a child disappears, is it because of his destiny or something else?

The Good

Joshua Williamson is on a roll. He's been putting out new series after series and we can't help but be enthralled with the different scenarios he's coming up with. BIRTHRIGHT starts out with the premise of the disappearance of a child. Williamson captures the pain and agony the family goes through. Things soon escalate in a dark direction for some and you can't help but be a little chilled over the idea that this sort of thing happens more often than we'd like to consider.

Within just a few pages, we get to know the rest of the family. We see some time pass and witness the struggle they have to deal with just trying to carry on. But that is merely the surface of what this comic is about.

The less you know about this comic, the more exciting the twists will be. Just when you think you have a grasp on where this comic is headed, it takes a complete left turn and catches you off guard. We're used to seeing twists happen in comics and sometimes we're a little jaded as we expect them at every page turn. Williamson makes it work. And if that wasn't enough, even the big revelation won't prepare you for the rest of the issue.

The icing on this wonderful story is the fantastic art by Andrei Bressan. I'm always fascinated when we have a new series with new characters. It's up to the initial artist to really capture their look and identity. Bressan does this and illustrates the different emotions they go through with ease. The colors are spot on as well. Too often in comics of this genre, the colors can be too much and pull you out of the story a little.

The Bad

Nothing bad here. What starts out as a simple, but interesting, missing child story soon becomes so much more. You'll grit our teeth when you reach the last page and realize you'll have to wait a month for the next issue.

The Verdict

Joshua Williamson has delivered another phenomenal debut issue. I first read this with no idea what the story was and seeing the twists unfold makes a spectacular reading experience. Getting caught off guard by a twist in a comic is fun but when there's more than one, it's a whole new game. You know you should not get comfortable or think you know what's coming next. Andrei Bressan's art fits the story perfectly. The layers to the story are intriguing and you can tell this is going to be a thrilling series.