Occasionally, you find yourself in love with the cover of a comic, so much so that you have to know what it is about. This is one of those comic books… Your Major Spoilers review of Bonehead #1 awaits!
BONEHEAD #1
Writer: Bryan Edward Hill
Artist: Rhoald Marcellus
Colorist: Sakti Yuwono
Letterer: Imam Eko & Jaka Ady
Editor: Elena Salcedo
Publisher: Image Comics/Top Cow
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Bonehead: “In a near future, a sprawling megalopolis sees the rise of “Boneheads”, parkour-gangs that use neuro-linked helmets to augment their abilities and live for the thrill of physical risk. As a gang war threatens to tear the city apart, a mysterious Bonehead rises, a man with no past that might be the key to saving the city’s future…”
WEARS ITS INFLUENCES ON ITS PROVERBIAL SLEEVE
A first issue is always a matter of risk, but this one takes the bold approach of throwing readers right into the thick of things. We find our future city, filled with drones and surveillance and such, and a mysterious “Bonehead” designated 56. Seems that everyone wears a virtual helmet on their head, providing augmented reality information for its user, but also allowing the police to monitor your activities and punish illegal activities remotely. 56, however, has disabled helmet control, and so as he sets out through the daily drone lanes, a police Gladiator is sent out to apprehend him. 56 escapes arrest, but encounters another renegade calling himself Pumpkinjuice, who informs him that he reminds him of someone called Blackdeath.
It’s a question 56 wants more explanation to, but things get complicated when the Gladiator tracks him down…
SOME INTERESTING WORLD-BUILDING
First and foremost, this book is absolutely beautiful to look at, each page rich with detail and depth. The main character’s design is incredibly striking, with bold reds and a cool helmet design, and the technology feels accessible but futuristic all at once. The production of the book is also noteworthy, with occasional pop-up captions to invoke the AR tech everyone is wearing, and even the cover design is part and parcel of that aesthetic, featuring the solicitation copy in a side caption under the title. The story feels a bit abrupt, but that fits with the tone of the story/world, as 56 is a silent enigma for most of the book. There are a lot of influences visible in these pages, from ‘Akira’ to ‘Blade Runner’ to ‘Brazil’, but that doesn’t really affect the story being told so much as it informs readers what to expect. The implication that there’s more going on than just “cool Parkour guy in cool helmet” is welcome, though, as this issue has a lot of visual appeal and great touches, but the story itself is straightforward and a bit predictable…
THE BOTTOM LINE: HAS POTENTIAL
I’m not sure where this book is going, whether it’s meant to be a limited or ongoing or even what year things take place, but I do know one thing: It’s a great first issue that makes me want to know more about this character and his world. Bonehead #1 is attractive, well-drawn and colored, well-designed and has enough story to keep me interested in 56 and his world, earning a very impressive 4 out of 5 stars overall. I like when a cover image leads me into an entertaining new world…
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