Gunsuits
Issue 1
Published by merican Gothic Press
June 2015
Created by Philip Kim
Writer: Paul Tobin
Art: PJ Holden
Colours: Diego Rodriguez
Letters: Marshall Dillon
Cover: PJ Holden
I think the cover pictured may have been the Preview version. The image is the same on mine but the logos, etc are different. There is an alternative cover by Darick Robertson also available.
I heard about this before it was out & tried to pre-order but had difficulties. PJ Holden suggested I try Big Bang Comics which I did.
My copy arrived today bagged & boarded – and Autographed by PJ! I knew it was autographed before it arrived as Big Bang had told me so. But it had slipped my mind.
I first came across PJ Holden in the pages of 2000AD. This blog is rather Judge Dredd/2000AD centric and many of the comics I Preview or Review are linked by having creators in common. Department of Monsterology is a prime example. So when I saw PJ was illustrating a 4 part comic about folks in big armoured suits fighting monsters… I had to see it.
I have no preview pages to share as I didn’t receive a Preview copy, as explained in my introduction to this article above. But you can see preview pages on the website of American Gothic Press.
The story is set in 2049. A young pilot is in a mech-suit and foot soldiers are ahead of her. Despite her orders for them to fall back they stand their ground. They die before she dies.
In a control room while the battle is being monitored by two in uniform and one in a suit a female officer repeatedly tells the uniformed monitor operator to ‘shut up’ while he constantly gives negative opinions. There is a striking similarity between the pilot and the officer in the control room.
This comic is based on the short story Wormholes by Philip Kim, Publisher of Famous Monsters. American Gothic Press is their new comic imprint.
The story follows Cassandra “Potts” Potter in her battle against invading monsters. The monsters are invading from other parallel realities and Cassandra is looking for a parallel where she can learn a way to kill them
This issue starts with a dramatic combat situation which leads us in to a bit of a puzzle. After the initial reveal of the existence of parallel realities the action slows for a while to give us insight in to the personality of Cassandra. Then the action increases and builds to a brilliant cliff hanger.
There are a few wordy panels but that isn’t an issue for the letterer and everything flows nicely.
The art is a fine example of PJ’s storytelling. The characters are always easily identified and in a cast situation that’s pretty important. Next issue it seems there will be an increase in the cast. The creature and Mech designs look great. There is also a scene with a teenage version of Casandra, in flashback, PJ handles that brilliantly and it is instantly obvious that we are looking at a younger version of the lead character.
A stonkingly good first issue. Now to fix getting issue 2 on time…
Judge-Tutor Semple 