Sometimes, the right thing to do is obvious. In Summer City, that’s seldom the case, but now, there shall come… The Pedestrian! Your Major Spoilers review of The Pedestrian #1 from Magma Comix awaits!

THE PEDESTRIAN #1

Writer: Joey Esposito
Artist: Sean Von Gorman
Colorist: Josh Jensen
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Editor: Bobby Curnow
Publisher: Magma Comix
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 7, 2024

Previously in The Pedestrian: Behold, The Pedestrian! A strange visitor speed walks into Summer City and silently changes the lives of its residents. But not all is quiet in this sleepy, small town. An ancient conflict linked to the secret history of street signs is brewing! Don’t walk… RUN!

In The Pedestrian, justice always has the right of way!

RULES ARE RULES

As a young woman leaves her job at the pawn shop, she ruminates to herself about how either Summer City is dying, or her life has just fallen into a spiral. Before she can finish her thoughts, though, she hears the footsteps of a mugger approaching her from behind. She tries to run, but the man in the hoodie catches up to her and goes for her purse, only to be interrupted by a man in a costume and goggles. Though he manages to stop the mugging, he also refuses to cross the street against the light, allowing the criminal to get away. Of course, “get away” is a matter of degree, when you’re a bad enough criminal to drop your own wallet while trying to steal someone else’s. We then cross over into the lives of a number of Summer City’s denizens, from young Detective Whitaker to Randy Goddard, who dropped out of pre-med and now delivers pizza, to schoolteacher Mister Whitaker. Each of their stories intersects with the mysterious Pedestrian, and each of them has their own ideas about life in Summer City.

Of course, there’s the issue of the OTHER mask in town.

A WAR MAY BE BREWING

Perhaps my biggest complaint about this issue comes in the fact that the comic book itself doesn’t reference (or perhaps, doesn’t yet reference) information that is provided in the solicitation copy. That’s not a problem in itself, but the nature of The Pedestrian isn’t even touched on in these pages. The way the character is played is a net positive, though, reminding me a bit of Will Eisner’s salad days on The Spirit, where the title character is always part of the story, but not always the center of it. The lives of Summer City citizens are well-presented here, and Von Gorman’s art always maintains the crucial balance of reality to weirdness. Best of all, The Pedestrian themself is a strange, almost alien presence, even though they’re clearly just a person in a zentai suit and swimming goggles, making their screen time feel startling and bizarre.

BOTTOM LINE: AN ENGAGING DEBUT

All in all, though, The Pedestrian #1 pulls off the hardest trick, making me want to know more about the setting, the characters, and the strange history of traffic signals. It maintains a consistent tone and provides art that perfectly complements it, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. It’s always exciting to see creators do something unexpected with the familiar tools of the superhero story, and this one has my attention.

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THE PEDESTRIAN #1

67%

67%

I'd have preferred a bit more clarity in the central conflict of this issue, but it's an interesting take on the idea of a mundane vigilante, with some unique twists that make me want to keep reading.

• Writing

  7
• Art

  7
• Coloring

  6
• User Ratings (1 Votes)
  9.3