Redemption #1

Redemption #1

AWA Upshot Studios 2021

Written by Christa Faust

Illustrated by Mike Deodato Jr.

Coloured by Lee Loughridge

Lettered by Steve Wands

"The dusty desert town of Redemption survived the apocalypse but is hanging on by a thread. A despot rules the town with an iron fist and controls its most precious resource: water. When that strongman marks her mother for death, young Rose Obregon ventures into the perilous wasteland to seek the help of the legendary gunslinger Cat Tanner, only to discover that the so-called "Butcher" is long retired, living in solitude, far from what's left of the world, and preferring to keep it that way. When Rose arrives on Tanner's doorstep, with gunmen hot on her trail, the Butcher has a choice to make: sit on the sidelines or pick up her guns and do what she does best?"

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this by the title alone but then again I didn’t have to worry as it’s from AWA Studios and they’ve more than proven themselves to be among the most innovative and interesting publishing houses out there right now. I was taken with how I saw this book unfold and while I thought it would be a nice western I wasn’t prepared for when it actually takes place. I found myself highly intrigued by what we see and how the correlation to the past plays such a heavy role. Of course we shouldn’t be too surprised to see the kind of leader this settlement has, after all history shows us time and time again that these rise to power only to be eventually deposed.

I am thoroughly enjoying the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exquisitely well. I like how we see the present and then the past as it ties into the present and how things will likely progress. It has this feel to it that makes it believable as well as gives it an air about it that this is how things could become if left unchecked. Also that we don’t know anything about the downfall is something I am totally on board with because it allows the readers’ own imagination to fill in the blanks after being given nuggets of information. The character development that we see is phenomenal and it is easy to see into the characteristics that motivate the characters. It also allows us some empathy as well as animosity towards certain characters.

Mike’s work on the interiors here is mindbogglingly good! The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail work we see is stupendous. I love the added and unexpected touches and we need look no further than the Sheriff to understand why I say this. Backgrounds are utilised quite effectively throughout the book and not only do they enhance the moments but bring us nice depth perception, a sense of scale as well as the overall sense of size and scope of the story. The utilisation of the page layouts, how we see the angles and perspective within the composition of the panels shows a mastery for storytelling. There is so much feeling and emotion that comes from the faces and facial expressions not to mention the body language and it’s beautifully rendered. The colour work we see is sensational! How the various hues and tones within the colours are being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work with how it’s laid down is simply stunning to behold.

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There is something about finding a story that you can connect with in some truly unexpected ways that brings a smile immediately to your face. Then to see how this is structured and how the layers within the story emerge and draw you further into the book is magnificent. Also the way we see how well everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow is utterly delightful. If you don’t see this at your local shop then make sure they order it for you or contact whomever you get your subscription service through because you will enjoy this so much more than you’d ever imagine.