Aspen is celebrating its ten-year anniversary by rolling out ten new titles, each priced at $1.00. The first of these books is BubbleGun and I had the pleasure of an advanced read. Your review awaits!
SUMMARY
Pros
Great cyberpunk world and art
It’s only $1.00
Cons
One generic feeling scene
[rating:overall]
READER RATING!
[ratings]
BUBBLEGUN #1
Writer: Mark Roslan
Artist: Mike Bowden
Letterer: Josh Reed
Colorist: David Curiel
Editor: Vince Hernandez, Frank Mastromauro
Publisher: Aspen Comics
Cover Price: $1.00
Previously in BubbleGun: The year is 2113 and Neocapital is a booming city filled with various forms of electronics and machines, some attached directly to its citizens. A group of thieves have decided to break into the science building Inotech to steal something very valuable.
TROPICAL FRUIT FLAVORED CYBERPUNK
BubbleGun is cyberpunk all the way and carries an air of vivacity that makes it an incredibly fun read. The book starts with a narration as we see a team break into Inotech to steal a piece of machinery. It soon pulls a wonderful fake out as we learn who actually is narrating is not the person we thought. Molli, our narrator, barges in with her team to stop the thieves and rob the place themselves. Molli’s narration establishes all the characters and personalities wonderfully. Her sister Devyn runs the show, planning everything meticulously while Molli is a “hacker” in training. Mark Roslan does a superb job of introducing the characters in a way that feels natural to the story. All of them have some kind of cybernetic attachment, be it appendages or brains that can be hooked up to computers. Their world is bustling, thriving with tech, neon lights and images that are Times Square times a thousand. From Molli’s gun that fires bubblegum (or similar substance) to my personal favorite: a robot bartender that tells you your alcohol level. It’s these elements that give BubbleGun its spark, something rarely seen in comics today, making it stand out. There is one scene involving a conversation between Devyn and pilot Kyo that is a little generic. Kyo has a crush on Molli but is too shy to let her know and Devyn advises him to ask her out. Its been seen many times before and was disappointing for a book brimming with originality. As a first issue, it does an excellent job of setting things up and leaves a cliffhanger that really made me want to continue reading. This is cyberpunk the way it should be done and with a nice fun twist, complete with mohawks.
I WISH I LOOKED THAT COOL
Mike Bowden’s art has a style similar to anime but doesn’t just copy it. It’s slightly hard to describe. It has its own look but the character designs seem like they could come straight out of an anime. Everything from skinny females to heavy brutes is here. No two characters are similar and all have a cool, badass look. Pages are filled with art and almost all panels have some sort of background that helps immerse the reader in the world. Coloring is bright making the cyberpunk surroundings fun and lively as apposed to other similar settings that are dreary and dark. This is cool stuff and I can’t wait to what else Bowden brings to the title.
BOTTOM LINE: YOU CAN, AND SHOULD, SPARE A DOLLAR
BubbleGun came out of nowhere and smacked me in the face with its unique flare. Mark Roslan has created a fun sci-fi world filled with cool characters and a comic different from many others on the racks. Mike Bowden’s work only helps add to the flavor presenting designs that fit what Roslan has created. Fans of sci-fi, cyberpunk especially, owe it to themselves to buy this comic. At only a dollar, there is no reason not to give this book a chance. BubbleGun #1 gets a flavorful 4 out of 5 stars.
[rating: 4/5]