Marc Bernardin takes Neil Gaiman’s book Anansi Boys to the comic page! Check out the story of Fat Charlie as he learns the truth of his heritage in Anansi Boys #1 by Dark Horse Comics!
NEIL GAIMAN’S ANANSI BOYS #1
Writer: Neil Gaiman and Marc Bernardin
Artist: Shawn Martinbrough
Colorist: Christopher Sotomayor
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Editor: Daniel Chabon
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 26th, 2024
Previously in Anansi Boys: Based on the award-winning novel and soon-to-be television show, Anansi Boys tells the story of Charlie Nancy, who learns that he has a twin brother and that his father is the trickster god of African folklore, Anansi the Spider!
Anansi Boys #1 starts with Charlie talking to his fiancée about how much he doesn’t like his father. He tells stories about how he was called fat and how his father pulled terrible pranks on him. He was effectively bullied for his father’s amusement. Despite that, he makes the phone call to invite him to his wedding, only to find out that his father died while at karaoke night. He takes the first plane from London to Florida and goes to the wrong funeral. As he laments his father’s death with frustration, he is informed that his father is, in fact, a god.
I was interested in the extensive characterization when I sat down to read Anansi Boys #1. I appreciated the script and how things were formatted, but then the comic ended. I realized I had read an entire twenty pages. I was engaged with the story but don’t feel fully immersed in the plot yet. Knowing that Charlie’s father is a god played no role in my interest in the story, and it failed to grab my attention. I’m more interested in seeing how Charlie handles his father’s death rather than the supernatural element, which makes me hesitant to pick up the next issue because it may not align with what I want.
Despite that, the art was excellent, and the comic was well-written. However, I don’t know what to expect because I am unfamiliar with the source material. This may suggest that this book is meant to be read as a novel with a slower pace than what you can get out of a single comic issue.
Anansi Boys #1 has much potential, enough for me to want to pick up the next issue. Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite writers, and I think there are many fun things to read here. With that in mind, this comic gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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Anansi Boys #1
Anansi Boys #1 had a lot of great characterization, but I'm unsure if the next issue will cover what interests me.
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Christopher Rondeau is a storyteller based in Tulsa, OK. Finding himself with little work, he ended up creating a job as a Game Master full time on the internet. Chris spends most of his days reading everything he can, writing bad fiction, and watching old Digimon cartoons with his daughter. Sometimes you can find him Dungeon Mastering a podcast or streaming on twitch. Recently, he has completed his Master's degree with a focus on collaborative storytelling. Find out more at https://rondeaucreator.com