Psychosis #1 - Indie Comic Book Review

Psychosis #1 by Adam Atkinson

Psychosis #1 is another story of Kickstarter success, which is becoming at bit of a theme with my regular Indie Comic Book Reviews. This week we look at Adam Atkinson's Psychosis. While the book has been completed and the Kickstarter has been successfully funded, there are still 3 days to donate and help them reach some stretch goes. Go check out their Kickstarter for Psychosis #1 here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/511309229/psychosis-issue-1. Written by Adam with artist/letterer David Coates, the debut issue is pretty much a huge success. I thoroughly enjoyed this issue with only a couple of things to nit pick. So with that being said, on to the review.

I hate to start out on the negative, but one of the major flaws in this book for me is the lack of exposition for the dense world that Atkinson has created. Referring to the Kickstarter page, you can get A LOT more info about the premise of this story than you can discern from Psychosis #1. The synopsis reads:

The year is 2134. It has been exactly a hundred years since society as we know it disappeared. Cities were brought to the ground in days, governments in weeks, and entire countries in mere months. Two thirds of the population had died off before the years end. This is what is written in the history books as "The Great Purge".

Over the years, the worlds governing forces have been genetically superior humans (Newgens), who have inherited abilities which they in turn used to take complete control. 50 years ago, a group formed known only as The SeVeN. Six Newgens and one very rich and powerful human. They make the decisions now. They choose who lives, who dies and who prospers.

The rich get richer, the powerful gain more and more power each day, and those less fortunate work, slaving away, just to feed their families. Thus formed The Resistance, everyone from farmers to miners have taken up arms to try and take back what is theirs. They rely heavily on the Newgens who have turned away from the herd, and agree there must be peaceful resolve to the war. Psychosis and his group of troubled powerhouses are the main group trying to fight back. They recruit, fight, disrupt and cause as much mayhem for The SeVeN as they can.

It is not being done for fun, it is being done to try and save the human race. It is being done to save each person from the same fate as those poor souls from 100 years ago.

Now, I am happy to praise a storyteller for showing and not telling, but for comparison, after reading this issue, the only things from this synopsis I could have told you is that it's the future and there's some genetic alterations going on in this world. I think that a simple splash page at the beginning of the book would really have served this issue well to give us a bigger picture perspective on the world of Psychosis. I can only assume that Atkinson intends to reveal most of this back story in future issues. The trade off is that sometimes your reader might only pick up one issue.

Moving on, let's talk about the good shit in this book. The story is solid, fast paced, and satisfying. We see our hero Victor Stevens aka Psychosis on a mission to save children. How can you go wrong saving children? Well, perhaps it can go wrong by climbing into an air duct. I loved this scene in Psychosis #1.



How many times have you seen the hero crawling through an air duct and thought, "No way that would work." For me, too many times. This is just one example of how the writing in this issue is great. It's gritty but also realistic. (And funny as you can see by the pile of steaming dung). The character of Victor/Psychosis is pretty different than most superheroes in that he kills and he likes killing. He wouldn't be the first superhero to kill, but he surely is in the minority.

As for the art by David Coates, I'm definitely a fan. I admit that I will give black and white comics are hard critique sometimes, but this book is crisp, clean and consistent. The use of grey scale instead of just straight black and white helps to add depth and subtlety the pages. And on top of Coates' excellent sequential work, there are many alternative covers that Psychosis #1 had rendered by artists competing to win the honor of cover artist. Check the Kickstarter link above to see the different covers and few prints that the crew is doing as rewards as well.

Psychosis #1 sets up this franchise for what looks to be a really solid run. The Kickstarter still has a little time left at the time of this posting, so go check it out and get in on the rewards if you so desire. We also took the time to ask Adam Atkinson our "5 Questions with Nerdbinge" to gain some insight into his creative process. Read on to learn some more about what makes Adam tick.

5 Questions with Adam Atkinson

1. What were your favorite comic books growing up?

I had a wide range of comics that I grew up loving. The comic that started it all for me was Spawn. The first comics I ever owned were Spawn issue 1-5.

2. What books out now get the old creative juices flowing?

Stan Lee's How to Write Comics helped a lot in my growth. The Watchmen is what gave me the love for gritty comics that make you think.

3. Any "guilty pleasure" comics on your personal pull list?

There is, and it is a little embarrassing but Archie comics were a huge part of my childhood, and I've been a long time fan/reader.

4. Outside of comic books, what media do you find inspirational?

I watch a lot of superhero movies and TV shows, I find it helps in showing what our culture is becoming. What used to be frowned upon and mocked is now mainstream and I am proud to say that I was enjoying all of it before others even knew what comics really were.

5. What advice would you offer to writers/artists/creators on the ground level working to break into the industry and/or get their own book out there?

Just do it! In all seriousness, Psychosis has been in the works for years. I've rewritten the script several times and we've reworked his look just as many. It takes work. There is nothing in this world [better] than seeing your hard work pay off. Remember, you are not trying to create the next Spider-Man or Ghost Rider, you are trying to create the first version of YOUR work. Above that knowing that you will be your own worst critic. Issue one is great according to most critics, but I can assure you issue 2 is already much better. You get to be more in depth as the issues go on. So just have fun!

Like Father, Like Daughter - Indie Comic Preview

Like Father, Like Daughter: Short Fuse Media and Comic Uno Kickstart Their First Published Comic Book

OK, this is our first comic PREVIEW, and while we don't know a lot about the project, I still felt compelled to share it. I'm excited enough about what Like Father, Like Daughter is doing with Short Fuse Media that I wanted to put the word out about their Kickstarter to fund their first published comic book. I'll do my best to give you some details, but to hear it told best, watch the video from their Kickstarter below.



Full transparency here, I was turned on to Short Fuse Media because I was hired to do some writing and lettering work for a forthcoming project. I was enthralled and excited by the story that I was brought on to help tell and thus I became immediately interested in whatever else they had in the works. That is how I discovered Like Father, Like Daughter. I have no part in this project but I am equally excited about the project for two reasons. One, this will be the first published book from Short Fuse Media, and as one of my favorite unattributed quotes goes, "Comic books are like boobs. They look fine on a computer, but I'd rather hold one in my hand." (No, it wasn't Stan Lee as the Internet may have led you to believe). Two, Short Fuse Media is also giving a young creator the chance to make her comic book a reality. I think this is just plain awesome. I wish that every young creator with a story to tell could have a chance like this.

Like Father, Like Daughter is a story of a girl whose father abandons her to become the world's first superhero. This premise really intrigues me because it's a superhero story with a real world twist. We always think of superheroes as good guys when they are saving the day, but we rarely see a superhero with a family, much less the fallout that superhero status can cause for their families. Just think about the hypocrisy at play here.  A superhero who saves the world on the reg, but leaves his daughter to be raised without a father. It's a pretty heavy premise, and as far as I can tell, it's just the tip of the iceberg. Kat aka Comics Uno (also a comic book reviewer with her own YouTube show) teases that there are many twists and turns to come, but we'll just have to wait and see...

I urge everyone to consider backing this Kickstarter project because the comic is based on an idea I believe in, which is stories that can help uplift young people. Not only is the publishing of this story going to help Kat make her dream of becoming a published comic book creator, but the story itself will inspire many young people who may be in the same situation. It's rare to see a story of this nature in a superhero comic book, and I think that's a shame. In the past four years that I have grown within the comic book industry, I have met many creators who truly inspire me because of why they want to make comics. They want to tell stories that aren't being told. So many great indie creators are still on the underground level, and I really hope that in the years to come, we can help build up storytellers who have a message that can truly help people in the world. I believe that this book fits the bill. Enjoy and check out the Kickstarter campaign online here:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/430817454/like-father-like-daughter-1-comic-book