Villain #1 is a comic written by Joshua Metzger with art by Grzegorz Pawlak. In this story we follow a man named Gil Grimes, and ex-con on probation who did something real bad a long time ago. Grimes is a man who is just trying to move on, he’s not necessarily remorseful but he isn’t proud of his past. This story takes place in a world full of superfolk so keep your eyes peeled for the occasional costume. We’ve seen plenty of stories that deal with gritty superheroes but I haven’t read many that deal with the aftermath of those who’ve run afoul of the “good guys”. There is a decent amount of action here but it seems like there will be much more in the future. This comic has some very good dialogue and it is well-written enough that it reads nice and smooth even on the more wordy pages. It has pacing on par with an episode of television and the plot makes sense and is as realistic as something of this genre can be. This comic gives us a good look at what happens when you lose to superheroes. There is also a bonus comic focusing on the vigilante named “Mongrel” as he investigates a case.
This is not a black-and-white comic but it is light on the colors, and usually they look a bit washed out. It reminds me of Sin City a bit. This comic is following the life of a specific person who is out and about so the locations change constantly. Sometimes they stick out and add to the scene, other times they are just there to set the scene. Besides major moments this comic is juuust expressive enough. The faces are unique but the little details that add to expression aren’t really there. The characters here dress very regular. That makes the comic feel a bit more real, I know you’ve seen some of these outfits before. The action scenes have a decent flow to them, but sometimes I am a little lost on how they get from panel-to-panel. Aside from a scene where it’s warranted, there isn’t any sexualization going on.
“Is this worth reading?”
Yes.
“Would I like this?”
If you like gritty looks at those who’ve found themselves on the other side of law in a world of superheroes you should give this a look.
“What would this comic’s film rating be?”
R.
“Could I get a quote from the comic?”
“After what happened, he’s not likely to stop.”
Digital Link: https://nosleeppress.gumroad.com/l/QVgG
Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/894914261/metzger-and-pawlak-presents-villain-1-noir-edition/description
***IN-DEPTH COMIC STATS BELOW***
Probably Contains Spoilers
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Actual Pages(not counting covers and credits): 30
Violent Pages: 6, for 20% of the comic
Sexy Pages: 0, for 0% of the comic
**The levels below aren’t necessarily maintained throughout the whole comic, but they were definitely reached**
Violence Level – 2
“Wasn’t no tussling at all.”
“Sometimes you gotta hit somebody.”
“I’m getting charged with how many counts of assault?”
“This was a tournament arc.”
“All my life I had to fight.”
Gore Level – 2
“The only thing leaking out your face is tears.”
“Looks like somebody spilled some ketchup.”
“Might need to soak that up with a bath towel.”
“That isn’t supposed to be outside the body.”
“This is a slaughterhouse.”
Death Level – 1
“And everybody lived happily ever after.”
“We might have gone to a couple funerals.”
“It just LOOKS like a serial killer was here.”
“Yeah this was a tragedy.”
“Think Gettysburg.”
Porn Level – 1
“Everybody kept their clothes on.”
“I guess it was too hot for a bra.”
“Sometimes you got to let everything air out.”
“This is like late night Cinemax in the early 2000’s.”
“Oh. This is porn.”
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