The GRADUATE #1 (of 6)
“Humble Beginnings” (19 pages)
Writer: Jon Hughes
Artist: Celia Calle
Cover by: Celia Calle
Publisher: Overground Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
No better place than to start in media res. If any of you have aviophobia, this book is not for you!! Plus, your fear is justified! Natalie Worthy’s life flashes before her eyes as the flight she’s on is about to touch ground in a brutally forceful way. How did this come to be? Let’s backtrack!!
Bitterness and resentment grow within the young lady. She has been court-ordered to a super-hero training facility. Natalie has no noble intentions nor lofty aspirations but her powers must be regulated. Suspension of disbelief occurs when she spots an electrically-charged villain on the left wing. This definitely ain’t no Gremlin!! She mentions this to the man in front of her. The other passengers sneer at her but George takes her word for it.
Natalie receives a telepathic summons or senses the intruder. It is unclear. He makes a rather outlandish entrance. The cadaverous-looking lighting bug throws his weight around. Death and destruction go hand-in-hand just because. Shock-jock is bemused by Natalie’s cool, calm demeanour. A heroic attempt by George goes awry. When he utters her name, this surprises her. The plane is split in two, the left wing detaches, and George is dispatched into the wild blue yonder.
Face-off time! Mr. Jolt is perplexed by Natalie’s immunity to his charges. She lets it drop that she’s invincible. Once that’s established, he surmises her survival. Away he goes. The plane nose-dives. Natalie emerges intact. She can’t let go the anger towards the judge who made her attend the school for super-heroes. She wonders about the encounter with the electrical evil one. Is he connected to her ‘punishment’? Heroine or not, Natalie wants to deliver some payback to the voltage villain.
Overground Comics is officially crowned one of the newest publishing companies!! After successfully promoting the company on his own through three states, founder and creator Jon Hughes sees his Kickstarter launch take flight!! Natch 😉
The mission statement is stated on the back cover as well as on the website. It’s quite the bold one!! I admire the fact that the publisher does not wish to adhere to the trite tropes that have affected the quality of major characters and their stories. There is respect to them but real time is essential to Overground’s approach.
Natalie’s origin is provided in the opening credits of this issue. Given that this is a mini-series, the establishment of events will be complete. One specific trait that is emphasized about her character and made known on the penultimate page is that invincibility has had made her apathetic, selfish, and downright heartless.
More details are provided on Comic Vine regarding the incident. Some graduation! The trial by air was a rude awakening. Her determination for retribution reinforces her cold interior. Looking out for number one is the only option. Not your typical super-heroine!!
Jon Hughes is the proud papa of this little baby. His intense resolve to promote the upcoming titles is a true labour of love. He never gave up despite some resistance from local comic shops. Bravo!! His other title ABSENT CAPTAIN was also released this week.
Celia Calle has an interestingly selective bibliography. Her major contributions have been at Vertigo but she also did some cover work for the defunct Virgin Comics. I will confess that her style is as unique as they come. I’m not accustomed to extremely elongated individuals. The exaggerated stretched limbs accentuate the absurd aspect of the genre. The warped faces don’t do any favours for the commoners. It suits the token bad guy. Natalie has an attractiveness about her that doesn’t flaunt any ‘special features’. She really looks like the typical all-American female.
The diagonal panels relate to the aircraft’s forced descent and the carnage from the super-creep. The crimson hues signify intensity and foreshadow inevitable tragedy.
I pat myself on the back for finally accepting and embracing long-standing small-press publishers and their various products. I would always pass over independent offerings for the Big Two for name recognition, fan interest, or simply because of popularity. I won’t lament the years I missed out on quality creations by the multitude of talent in the industry. Overground is now in our midst! These first two titles are generating buzz.
Here’s to decades of success!! I give this book 7 out of 10.
Special nod to my local comic shop:
