Of all the comics released this week, the one I was most excited about reading first was Hunter’s Fortune by Andrew Cosby and Caleb Monroe. The first issue kicked off a grand treasure hunt that will lead the hero to a vast fortune, and a mystical relic. The issue had all the ingredients to make a great story, and issue two continues to thrill.
HUNTER’S FORTUNE #2 (B)
Writen by Andrew Cosby, Caleb Monroe
Drawn by Matt Cossin
SC, 24 pgs, FC, (2 of 4), SRP: $3.99
COVER A: Phil Noto
COVER B: Matt Cossin
The first issue of this mini-series was all set-up as Hunter Prescott learned of his rich uncle Max, and was put on the path to find Excalibur in order to inherit a vast fortune. Unfortunately, there are evil forces conspiring to part Hunter with his money. The foils for the story come in form of widow Sibyl and her equally conniving daughter Miranda. While the mother daughter duo were able to snag Max’s notebook, they didn’t get all the keys necessary to discovering the hidden treasure.
The team of Hunter, Trip, and Jessica have the resources, but they don’t have enough brain power to decode the new clues that are found, so they defer to Uncle Max’s secret researcher, Amber. The librarian quickly points the crew to Tibet, and the four are off in style aboard a private jet. While it seems rather cliche to keep building the team, Cosby and Monroe are pacing the new character introductions in a way that works naturally into the story. I really like Monroe’s style as he continues to create characters that are three-dimensional, with real personalities. Too often, an author ends up putting the same voice in every character in the book, which leads to wordy exchanges full of nothing.
For Team Hunter, the clues pay off to a big find that points to Italy, but before they can act, the big thug hired by Sybil steals the map. There’s a really great twist to the map that isn’t fully explained in the issue, so even though Sybil is now in possession of two major clues to the sword’s location, she’s going to need Hunter to make the final discovery. The solicitation for the third issue indicates everyone will have a confrontation with “lots of punching, kicking, and things blowing upâ€, so the turn looks like it will continue this fast paced tale.
While there may be a few panels that could have been trimmed in this issue, the story moves quickly, hitting all the main points needed to move the story along. Also included is a good dose of humor provided by Trip, and plenty of pseudo-history moments that make the story believable in this make believe world.
Adding to the excellent story is the art by Matt Cossin. There is a lot of manga influence in his art, but instead of going crazy with the styling, he keeps it under control. You won’t see any big-eyes/small-mouths in the issue, but the cartoony nature actually helps the flow of the story. The lines are smooth, the coloring and shading keep it light, and ensures the reader knows that this series shouldn’t be taken too seriously. And that’s a good thing as Hunter’s Fortune is a story that is full of fun and adventure. I can’t wait for Boom! Studios to announce this story has been optioned, because I have feeling I’ll be the first in line for this feature.
Yes, there still is a crazed kid inside me who wants to go on the ultimate adventure, and along the way find a treasure, land the girl, all while hanging with my best friends. Hunter’s Fortune #2 is a book that hits all the right notes, and delivers a fun, exciting adventure that makes reading comics fun. This issue is well deserving of 5 out of 5 Stars.
