Written by Jay Rosario
Art by Nicolas Valente
Generic black-clad hero fights generic ninjas in a generic warehouse taken straight out of the generic 1990s… in 2010!
The Story
This issue #0 is a preview, a taste of what the book has to offer. If this issue is an accurate taste, it leaves a bland flavor that leaves the book with little to offer.
The titular hero Dragonstorm, a martial artist superhero, has tracked down his missing sensei to a dark, oddly empty warehouse. Knowing it’s obviously a trap (who wouldn’t?), Dragonstorm sneaks in to find a gaggle of ninjas to fight off (who saw that coming?). Insert rival and a twist, except that the twist, like everything else in the issue, falls flat in hooking readers into following through to issue #1.
This issue is incredibly generic. It reads like a mid-‘90s Image rip off. Its hero is dripping with extreme (starting with an “X”) and darkness. It’s entirely superficial because that’s all there is to the story. Nothing about the character Dragonstorm is interesting, not his actions, attitude, abilities or anything else. The story itself is what it is, with no hints at a greater or even just more entertaining direction. As a sample, it leaves no interest in following the book.
The story isn’t awful, not to the point of horrid disgust of reading. It’s just dull and incomplete with its mere 14 pages, which is probably worst because it’s in no way entertaining.
But then, what kind of name is “Brymmstone” anyway?
2/10
The Art
I can say this much: the art perfectly suits the story. It too looks straight out of a ‘90s indie super hero comic. Characters with overly tightened and angled muscles, making very tense facial expressions.
Dragonstorm himself sports a mostly black jumpsuit with a gray mask. Of course, his silver hair is exposed to flow freely, as are his pupil-less white eyes. With the small underarm wings and the dragon symbol on his chest, Dragonstorm looks like an amalgam of Nightwing and Iron Fist.
And then there are the ninja minions, sporting the very ‘90s attire of sleeveless jackets and leg pouches. Nothing says ‘90s comics better than unnecessarily-placed pouches.
Not that looking like it is 15 years old is a bad thing. The problem is that the art looks “generically” ‘90s, so nothing particularly good or outstanding. Again, it’s just unimpressive.
3.5/10
This issue looks like an artifact from 1995, when someone was trying to copy independent super hero books and desperately trying not to be like the classics from the big two. The problem is, it’s 2010, and Image, Top Cow, Dark Horse and so on are not quite as indie as they used to be. Maybe this book means to parody this style, but there’s no hint at that here. Hopefully the first issue will do a better job being captivating, as this preview will not hold an audience. It’s not worth their time.
2/10
The Review
Story 2/10
Art 3.5/10
Overall (Not an Average) 2/10