CARRIERS #1 – Review

In CARRIERS #1, available from Red 5 Comics on November 10th, 2021, a group of armed and trained carrier pigeons protects the mean streets of NYC against gangs of rats and crocodile crime lords.

The Details

• Written By: Erica Heflin,
• Art By: Jim O’Riley, Elias Martin, Silas Dixon
• Colors By: Sebastian Valencia
• Letters By: Warren Montgomery
• Cover Art By: Elias Martin
• Cover Price: $3.95
• Release Date: November 3, 2021

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Was It Good?

CARRIERS #1 has a lot of interesting ideas and concepts, so if you’re looking for something different, this title is certainly that. However, it’s the details of the execution that don’t quite work, or at least, force you to ignore certain aspects of what’s going on to enjoy the story.

The concept is exactly as it sounds – pigeons have a secret base in the heart of NYC and they patrol the streets to stop gangs and crooks with a combination of surveillance and force. Okay, that sounds interesting. They have a command structure secretly built underneath (you guessed it) a rooftop pigeon coop. They have code names and each pigeon specializes in a particular skillset. It’s very much a mix of GI Joe crossed with the A-Team… with pigeons.

The trouble comes in when you see the pigeons in action with swords and semi-automatic weapons and using surveillance computers. It seems obvious to point out, but they don’t have any hands, so they have to do everything with their clawed feet. When the artists try to bring that out on the page, it simply looks clunky and awkward. How is that pigeon typing on a keyboard? If that pigeon is holding a weapon with both talons, what is he standing on?

To make a story like this work, you have to come up with ways for the birds to act as humans would and find ways for the pigeons to complete physical tasks in a clever way so as to suspend some disbelief. This book doesn’t quite get there. The physicality of it doesn’t make sense when you see it unless you just assume that pigeons can float in mid-air or can use the feathers as fingers.

If you can ignore the clunky, awkward physicality of the main characters, the premise is not bad. We’ll cover the plot in more detail in the next section, but suffice to say the pigeons try to thwart an operation by other sentient members of the animal kingdom. It makes sense on an animal kingdom level, and you can see how there would be room for more adventures.

The art, particularly with the creature designs, is imaginative and memorable. The coloring is excellent, the lettering is outstanding, and the scenery designs feel authentic for NYC. That said, the biggest down point is the translation of the characters in concept to something believable on the page, and it just doesn’t work.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

Readers are introduced to the Carriers as they make their patrolling sweeps of NYC. During one such patrol, they notice a group of rats are up to something near sewer entrances, and they soon learn the rats are outfitting a section of the sewer system with electricity.

After a little surveillance and leg work in their super-secret base, the pigeons soon learn the rats (along with a few unsavory falcons) are prepping a section of sewer to host a collection of crocodiles entering the country via cargo ship. When the stakes are established, the battle begins as the pigeons arm up to fight the falcons in the sky and the rats in the sewers. We conclude the issue with wings getting clipped, wires getting cut, and a breadcrumb trail even a human could follow.

Final Thoughts

CARRIERS #1 has interesting ideas and mixes two genres (sentient animals and crime dramas) together for something unique. The art execution is truly excellent and the pacing makes this a brisk read. That said, the execution of the animal designs while completing basic tasks doesn’t make sense for their bodies, and the suspension of disbelief needed to make this concept work just isn’t there.

Score: 6/10

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