GENECY #1, from Advent Comics on November 24th, 2021, follows a lone warrior and escaped prisoner who comes face-to-face with a god. Will he survive the test of his summoning or suffer the fate of the unworthy?
The Details
- Written By: Gerald Cooper
- Art By: Eddy Barrows
- Colors by: Tim Ogul, Oren Kramek
- Cover Art By: Diego Bernard, Oren Kramek
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: November 24, 2021
Wait! Don’t Forget To Sign Up For The Comical Opinions Newsletter.
It’s 100% FREE. Sign up NOW!
Was It Good?
GENECY #1 is not bad. Not bad at all. It’s a good start for a completely new character in a completely new universe. That said, the down point of this first issue is that it tries to impress too much lore and world-building on the reader too quickly, and it takes a while to sort itself out.
The story is exactly what it sounds like from the blurb above. A classic warrior, complete with rippling muscles, flowing hair, and a stoic personality, finds himself stranded on a distant planet after a prison break gone wrong. In practically every way, this is the classic hero’s journey. You have a central figure placed in extraordinarily challenging circumstances who is forced to overcome the obstacles before him on his way to becoming whatever Fate or Destiny has called him to be. The setup, while original in writing and art, feels very familiar in a relatable way.
That said, the issue mildly falters in the first half of the book because it doesn’t introduce anyone or anything outright. Readers are forced to figure out who is who and what’s going on, and it’s a confusing read for the first few pages. For example, it’s nearly impossible to tell who is narrating. Is it the main character? Is it an omnipresent observer? Is it the god the main character meets later? Readers are given almost no context or clear introduction to the races, their war, the characters, or anything of importance, and you have to work it out as you go.
There’s nothing wrong with dropping readers into the middle of the action as long as there’s some established frame of reference to know what’s going on. Here, readers have to distract their attention away from enjoying the story to figure out this new world the creators have built.
The art is well above average for an indie title, especially when the magical elements come into play. The color shading is a little too soft in a few spots where the contours need to be sharper, but in all, this first issue presents an excellent set of visuals.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Readers are brought in moments before a massive prison break occurs. Our hero, Kaizaxx, is among the prisoners, and he’s aware of the impending assault from outside to free him and his compatriots. The prisoners are all distinguished by pointy ears while their captors have round ears like a human. It’s not clear why Kaizaxx and his kin are in prison or why the two races are in conflict.
The prison break starts but it goes badly. Soon, only one rescue ship is left and the weight of too many prisoners is preventing it from escaping into orbit quickly. However, there are enough opposing forces on the ship that small skirmishes break out with several individuals evaporated.
Eventually, Kaizaxx is one of the two men left standing along with a wise, elderly mentor. The mentor hands Kaizaxx a mystical key for safekeeping before he dies. A key that transports Kaizaxx to a distant world of legend. There, he enters a fabled temple where an assortment of mystical beings try to kill him before he can place the key on its pedestal of power.
We conclude the issue with a battle between equal but opposite forces, a god’s decree, and the end of life as Kaizaxx knows it.
Final Thoughts
GENECY #1 takes the classic hero’s journey to the next level with massive space battles, ancient gods of power, and a hero that fits the mold in every conceivable way. The art is well above average for an indie title, and the sheer scope of world-building is massive. That said, the first half of the book is too sparse with context and introductions for readers to get a proper handle on the story.
Score: 7/10
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com