DEADLINE #1 is a comic written and drawn by Jen Olbrich. Sheriff Garrett is getting of outlaws in the area but it appears one is right under his nose. This is a science fiction Western comic that takes place on a moon and features bloody gunfights, law drama, and rash decisions. The leading lady here is Kiddo, she is a very fast gunfighter who used to ride with Sheriff Garrett. She tries to move about unseen and prefers to stay out of the way. Garrett is the new sheriff of Crucifix and he likes to use fear to keep people in line. This story begins at the Bar Code which looks like the average Wild West saloon. A young man named Isiaah walks in with the wanted poster for Kiddo which is only 10 creds. Other patrons in the bar are happy a bounty has appeared at all and they see this as an easy opportunity to gain cash and a reputation. This takes place on an unspecified moon and seems to be more alternate world than futuristic. The pacing is steady for the first have but speedy in the second with a similar tone to the average Western TV show/movie. This can very violently intense for gunfighting reasons. Dialogue here has that country Western accent and slang with bold remarks and slick threats. There aren’t any word-heavy pages here. This is an entertaining debut issue that focuses on setting the stage and raising unanswered questions while providing us with some brutal violence and potential future conflict.

            The art here is drawn in a detailed modern style with slight webcomic vibes and decent lighting and shading. This is in black-and-white and it uses different hatching-like processes to add depth. For scenery we have quick glimpses of long stretches of rocky desert. The primary location is the Bar Code which has the classic Western double doors and interior of just about every saloon with the bar up front and round tables surrounded by drunks in the back. Panel backgrounds tend to be white but occasionally we will see physical parts of the scene. The expression level here is above average as these characters can have strong and frequent reactions to what goes on here. Emotions shown here are mainly shock and fear with some anger and irritation as well. Faces here have a higher level of detail and they can get cartoonish and this results in most expressions being very clear. Weapons used here are part of the standard Western loadout like handguns, revolvers, and shotguns. Violence can be bloody and a bit destructive with some light gruesomeness but the different interactions tend to be short. There is one lengthy action scene with a smooth flow, a higher number of panels, and unique page setups.

*There are two versions of this comic, DEADLINE and DEADLINE PUNK, they are identical in every way except for 7 pages in DEADLINE PUNK that have splashes of color(blood, gunfire, liquid, not characters, physical objects, or scenery).*

“Is this worth reading?”

Yes, if this is up your alley.

“Would I like this?”

If you like science fiction Westerns that star a woman and take place on a moon and features classic gunfighting and frontier lawmen then this is for you.

“What would this comic’s film rating be?”

PG-13. Violence, blood, light gruesomeness.

“Could I get a quote from the comic?”

“Let me clear those dangerous thoughts from your mind.”

 

Purchase Link: https://ko-fi.com/s/eea048e444

Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/suited/deadline-1-0/description

***IN-DEPTH COMIC STATS BELOW***

Probably Contains Spoilers

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Actual Pages(not counting covers and credits): 24

Violent Pages: 11, for 46% 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 – 3

“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 – 3

“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 – 3

“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.”