By Chris Fenn
Image number ones are usually a good choice to take a first look at. Spread is yet another post-apocalyptic tale that features wastelands, bandits and blood. It’s sort of funny because the book has elements and parts that remind me of a few different books; but Spread still retains its own identity.
The narrative really struck me as being similar to Saga; it’s an anecdotal tale from an articulate individual who we see as a baby later revealed to be called Hope. Our main character is a man who is referred to as “No”, and he seems to have gotten his name from his monosyllabic answers, and he seems good hearted but also highly capable in close quarters combat.
The main threat of the book is The Spread, which leads me to comparisons to the recent Garth Ennis series Rover Red Charlie. So far the nature of the spread is not mentioned, we don’t know what it is, how it got there or how it reproduces, but the thing that really linked the two books was the simplicity and innocence of the naming. No is called No because he says “no”, Hope is called Hope because she is the only hope against the spread, a plane is called a Flyer because it flies, and the Spread is called the Spread presumably because it spreads across the world quickly.
Now I know the comparisons to Rover Red Charlie are sketchy at best, especially in a post-apocalyptic world where there is no formal education and everything is more basic due to survival, but noticing them made me really optimistic for the series because the elements of innocence and the unknown really hooked me with Rover Red Charlie.
Linking to another piece of Ennis’ work I found the scene where No takes on the bandits really reminiscent of Preacher; specifically the issues that cover the origin of The Saint of Killers. Seeing a lone traveller in a snowy wasteland lay waste to a group of bandits is something I think I’ll always find cool, and I can’t help but think that Justin Jordan is somewhat a fan of Ennis.
Now as a comic reader I’m not too much of a fan of the ultra-gore style comics. Crossed is something that has never appealed to me, and at times I find looking through books like Kick-Ass and feeling put off by the seemingly superfluous and excessive gore, but I can safely say that Kyle Strahm has got a balance that I can really invest and believe in.
The book does contain blood, violence and a fair bit of pulverising and chopping, and the Spread does look like somebodies digestive system with teeth, but it all feels tonally right and I’ve not seen something that I think is just unnecessary.
Now I’m not one to say that a book is going to be the next greatest thing or anything like that, but I think if you like the idea of the close knit relationships in Saga, with a hint of Ennis thrown into the mix and thrown out onto a dystopian snowy wasteland then I think this is certainly worth your time!
For more comic views and reviews follow Chris on Twitter at @fenneth1989
Posted on July 10th, 2014
Category: OUT OF THE LONG BOX, REVIEWS
Tags: Chris Fenn, Image Comics, Justin Jordan, Kyle Strahm, Spread #1 review