Series: They’re Not Like Us
Writer: Eric Stephenson
Artist: Simon Gane
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Summary from Comixology: “Generation after generation, it’s the same old S.O.S.:
There’s no hope for the future, because young people think only of themselves.
They have no respect for authority. They think they know everything. They are arrogant. They are reckless. They want to tear the world apart.
In a time full of possibilities, yet rife with disappointment, the youth are changing.
They look the same, but they act different, think different, and have abilities we can only dream of.
They’re not like us.”
Overview:
This book really got my attention a while back. I remember seeing things for it on both Reddit.com and also from some writers I follow on twitter, letting me know that this was a book that I needed to pick this up because it was going to be a “hit,” and that it was going to be one of the best Image books of 2014. And I’ll be honest, they weren’t lying. It has a very strong X-Men feel to it, and that helped sell the book to me (I’m a lifelong X-Men fan). I also really enjoyed the fact that it has a punk rock vibe to the book; now, what I mean by that is on first page there was a crust punk kid in the foreground, and towards the end of the book our main character, Syd, picks up some anaracho-punk band looking record.
Highs:
I personally really loved the storytelling that Eric Stephenson used in this issue. The issue consisted of a lot of groundwork and plot building, so we didn’t see much action of use of superpowers, but I really enjoyed the set up for this series. I am extremely interested in this story since it’s a much darker and twisted take on a series that is so near and dear to me. I was a little put off by the art in the start of the book, but as I read more into the book, I really began to enjoy the art, and I look forward to seeing how some of the other characters “abilities” are depicted in later issues.
Lows:
As I mentioned earlier, the art took a while for me to get used to, but it really became more enjoyable as the story progressed. I’m not saying the art is bad, but rather it takes a little bit longer get used to then I was expecting. Besides that, I couldn’t find anything else wrong with this book.
The Final Say:
If you are a fan of any of the X-Men books, or if you are looking for a new comic to check out, I would really recommend “They’re Not Like Us” for you to check out. This was a really solid first issue and I really look forward to seeing where this book goes and the adventures that are sure to follow in a series as interesting as this. I give this issue a solid 4 out of 5 and can’t stress enough that you really need to check this book out. And remember, They’re Nor Like us…