Comic Book Review: Mayday #1
The Cold War has been over going on almost thirty years now, but it’s impact will continue to be felt around our world for at least another generation. For over fifty years that era directed policies of the two great superpowers as they struggled for global influence. Their struggle in turn shaped the fate of many nations throughout that time period. From Vietnam to Afghanistan, the Cold War and the games played continue to stand out in the minds of many people. When many people think about it, they see super spies, and fantastic operations that at the end of the day would determine the outcome and the fate of the world. Mayday #1 from Alex de Campi plays with these ideas and helps to light the fire of imagination from the sparks left in the wake of the Cold War.
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In [easyazon_link identifier=”B01LXTOQ6V” locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]Mayday #1[/easyazon_link], Alex de Campi takes us on a time warp back to the 1960s during the height of the summer of love. The first thing I noticed was how the dialog felt like it came write out of the era. The way the characters spoke, as well as the words they used, and the context matched that time period. From there, the story quickly transitions into a spy thriller, where the struggle between the two superpowers (United States of America and the Soviet Union) is seen through the eyes of the surrogates they employ. Another thing that drew my eye was the song tracks listed on the top and bottom of each page. Songs that encapsulates that time.
As each side is introduced to us, we are also treated to an interesting style of writing. The protagonist’s dialog will fade in and out of legibly to match the amount of attention they’re giving the other characters. We see this for example on page four of this issue. I also enjoyed how they peppered in the Russian language as native speakers spoke amongst themselves. You’re also given the cue when they’re speaking Russian, but the dialog is also written in English. This extra step allows you to see the difference to a greater degree as you read on between the American perspective and the Soviet. Finally, you see how characters deal with the way mind altering drugs affect their dialog. This is well inputted starting around page nineteen. The mix of sheer confusion and terror is what you would expect when you trip on this particular drug. Though the story felt slow at times, I do hope that as this series continues it’s run, that it will bring up the pace abit.
The art was done by Tony Parker and Blond, who together created an environment that came straight out of Dragnet. The clothes, office, and everything else in the world was perfectly researched by the art duo. The set of panels that stuck out in my mind can be seen on page twenty as you get to bear witness to a really bad trip. Though some of the panels felt a bit clunky and not smooth as you read, the environment they created makes up for it.
The Verdict
[easyazon_link identifier=”B01LXTOQ6V” locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]Mayday #1[/easyazon_link] takes you on a time warp back to the height of the Cold War. Alex de Campi gives you two perspectives to view at the same time as each side races to outwit the other. A lot of detail was put into the story which left me happy with how it came out. Though the story felt slow at times, it was still a good ride. Tony Parker and Blond gives us the visual simulation you would expect from a Cold War invested drug crazed era. Though some of the panels felt off, the way the environment came off was really good.
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