A FISTFUL OF PAIN, from ComixTribe on Kickstarter, tells a lyrical tale of two sisters whose rivalry escalates into hardship and resentment over the dragons their family is sworn to protect.
The Details
- Written by: Louie Joyce, Ryan K. Lindsay
- Art by: Louie Joyce, Ryan K. Lindsay
- Colors by: Louie Joyce, Ryan K. Lindsay
- Letters by: Thomas Mauer
- Cover art by: Louie Joyce, Ryan K. Lindsay
- Cover price: $10.00
- Release date: October 2022 (estimated)
Is It Good?
A FISTFUL OF PAIN is a creative, unusual, and strangely poetic tale about two sisters whose lifelong rivalry degenerates into a quest for death. And there are dragons.
Lindsay and Joyce produce a tale that seems difficult to describe in a sentence or two, but the results blend together into an urban fantasy that’s unlike anything we’ve encountered before. This comic isn’t perfect, as there are a few areas that could be improved, but on the whole, this is an engaging, highly imaginative story.
The highlights of this comic are twofold. First, the melodic rhythm of the story presents itself like an epic poem. Lindsay and Joyce’s pacing floats and weaves like the dragons in this issue to make you feel like there should be a soundtrack playing in the background.
Second, the rhythmic pacing is matched by pulse-pounding fight scenes that snap, crackle, and pop with the best Martial Arts films around. The choreography is excellent, and it’s presented in a slick montage succession of panels to further highlight the rhythms of the plot.
The downside of the issue is a lack of clarity about the human characters in the art. The art is very stylized, and while that can be a good thing, sometimes style comes at the expense of clarity. Here, we couldn’t tell who was who until a third of the way through the book. The lettering placement is set to match the rhythmic flow of the art, so when the lettering should have helped to clarify who was who, the stylistic choice made the confusion worse.
That said, when the fights kick in, the art is gloriously cool. There’s a spark of cinematic flair in the action, and you can’t help but wonder what this book would look like translated into animation. If the faces/appearances of the characters were clearer, this would be a first-rate art presentation.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Xin informing the reader she is determined to kill her sister, Sloane. The two sisters were raised in a dynastic family of Scale Herders, families who raise and caretake dragons. The two sisters have always been at odds since they were young, but as they grew older, Sloane’s liberties with the power and privilege of belonging to a Scale Herder family drew her away from the path of honor.
Now, Xin catches up to her sister aboard her yacht filled with fighters and armed thugs. When the two meet face-to-face after years apart, only their fists will settle the score. We conclude the issue with the sacrifice of old friends and its consequences.
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Final Thoughts
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A FISTFUL OF PAIN is the strangest, kung-fu/dragon fusion revenge comic you never knew you needed in your life. The story entrances you with poetic pacing that almost feels like you’re reading the story set to music, and the art bristles with a hip, cool cinematic style.
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