There’s something very unusual about Oliver. Your Major Spoilers review of Uncanny Valley #1 from BOOM! Studios awaits!
UNCANNY VALLEY #1
Writer: Tony Fleecs
Artist: Dave Wachter
Colorist: Dave Wachter
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Editor: Jon Moisan
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: April 10, 2024
Previously in Uncanny Valley: Oliver is a seemingly typical 12-year-old boy… except for a mysterious family history that seems to start and end with his mother, and unexplainable powers, that is. He can do things other boys can’t, to the point of landing him in some trouble. Baffled by the surreal cartoonish nature of his abilities and followed by a murder of peculiar crows, the mystery behind Oliver’s family history finally unfolds!
WAAAH HAA HAA HOOOOEY!
There’s an old cliche saying, “If all the other kids jumped off a bridge, would you jump off a bridge?” For Oliver Peet, the answer is absolutely yes, as he proves when he follows two kids from school to an abandoned bridge over a dry gulch. Oliver lands with a puff of dirt, in a hole shaped just like his body, but when he sits up to laugh, he finds his two schoolmates with shattered legs. This leads to a suspension from school, which results in his mom being called, and a week-long suspension from school. When he explains the strange things that have been happening, Miss Peet (she’s very clear on that point) waves away his concerns, as well as his explanation that he breathed fire after eating a hot pepper, or that he smashed his thumb in shop class and bounced around the room in pain, screaming “Woo hoo! Woo hoo!” That night, at dinner, he remarks to his mother that there are an awful lot of birds outside, leading his mother to ask in alarm, “Were they CROWS?”
SOMEHOW TERRIFYING
The real joy of this issue is in the way Wachter’s art bridges the gap between Oliver’s reality and the cartoonish invaders, especially his grandpa, who suddenly appears looking remarkably like Yosemite Sam. The horrifying sight of crows overwhelming Miss Peet also successfully blends art styles incredibly well, bringing the conceit to life. While the whole story isn’t entirely clear yet, the birds’ cries of “Deliver the half-breed!” gives readers enough to go on, while the sequence leading to Oliver’s escape is silly, terrible, and touching all at once. As someone who enjoys Tony Fleecs’ work on Local Man, another series that welds two different realities together, I was hoping for the same level of quality in these pages. I was not disappointed,
BOTTOM LINE: IT’S ALL REAL
In short, Uncanny Valley #1 is a winner, with visuals that shine, successfully conveying a world that’s real and a cartoonish world, all in the language of comic book art, with a strong premise and a script that kept me on the edge of my seat, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. Based on this issue, I’m in for the whole six issues, and possibly beyond, depending on how this story shapes up in the next five issues.
Dear Spoilerite,
At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.
UNCANNY VALLEY #1
Oliver's life gets very weird, very quickly, and I have to say that I truly enjoy the entire experience, especially the effective coloring.
-
Writing7
-
Art7
-
Coloring10
