CHERISH #1, from Dynamite Comics on November 2nd, 2022, begins the origin tale of Cherish Fellows, a high-tech vigilante out to take down the wealthy, corrupt elites responsible for her father’s death.
The Details
- Written by: Katana Collins
- Art by: Gabriel Caitano
- Colors by: Omi Remalante Jr.
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Marc Silvestri, Eric Basaldua (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: November 2, 2022
Is It Good?
First things first, kudos to Dynamite for expanding its catalog of titles to include the reinvigoration of older characters (e.g. the upcoming Tarzan) and taking a chance on new creations with the subject of our review today. Well done, Dynamite. More, please.
CHERISH #1 is a brand-new creation from comic writer and longtime Sean Gordon Murphy partner Katana Collins, about a vigilante with an array of high-tech gadgets. Her number one mission centers on taking out the corrupt corporate elitists who stole her father’s tech company and his life.
On the whole, this is a solid story for a brand-new creation. The concept isn’t super original, as you can find similar setups with the likes of the Punisher (Marvel), Belle (Zenescope), and even Batman (DC). You could argue the premise follows a trope, but the revenge trope works because it’s universal. Everyone understands the motivation behind a vigilante born of tragedy, so this trope, while not terribly original, is an instantly relatable choice.
The writing execution is good but not great. Collins works a few too many
story beats into this first issue, so you get a mildly rushed feeling. Collins delivers scenes in a rapid-fire order in the present day without much time to understand what happened to Cherish’s father, how Cherish’s life looked before and after the death, or how she adopted her vigilante persona. You’re given tidbits through her current mission with brief flashbacks and snatches of dialog but not enough to deliver an emotional hook. As presented here, Cherish is a person who does things, but the emotional core that will hook a reader needs more time to develop.
Putting aside the slightly rushed tempo and the underdeveloped emotional hook, Cherish is a well-constructed comic. The pacing is even, the dialog is good, and the story flows smoothly with a minimum of confusion. Collins’s story sets the stage for Cherish to achieve her goal, or die trying, and the cliffhanger opens the door for the start of a Rogue’s Gallery to expand Cherish’s adventures in the future. This reviewer is slightly critical of Collins trying to do too much too fast, but all scenes at least add value.
Caitano’s art is reasonably good. Line work is clean, the panel compositions are dynamic, the layouts are solid, and Remalante Jr.’s colors are excellent. Caitano’s medium and wide shots lack detail, turning faraway characters into nondescript blobs, but those panels are relatively few.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Amelia accepting a toast from her future mother-in-law during her engagement party. She quickly excuses herself to look for her fiancee upstairs and finds him looking at a photo of Amelia as the notorious vigilante Cherish Fellows. When he confronts Amelia about the picture, an armed assassin leaps through the window and stabs the fiancee as a warning to abandon her mission to take down the Unicon company.
Four months ago, we find Cherish in disguise as she rents an office inside the highrise building next to Unicon’s corporate headquarters. With the help of her sidekick, Chaya, Cherish uses high-tech gadgets and weapons she salvaged from her father’s business before he was killed and his business taken over by Unicon. Blaming the board of Unicon for her father’s death, Cherish breaks into the corporate systems and arranges a job for herself so she can access their files from the inside.
We conclude the issue with a fraudulent realtor as a weak point, a late-night arms deal, and a deadly new arrival.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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CHERISH #1 is a solid start for a new vigilante hero. Collins’s plot drops you right into the middle of the action for plenty of attention-grabbing energy, and the art is better than serviceable. That said, the story feels a little rushed, and the main character needs more time to develop.
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