HOME FREE #1, from Coffee Time Comix in December 2021, follows Sara and Emmy as their chance encounter leads to a fight for survival and freedom from a life of abuse.
The Details
- Written By: John Kratky
- Art By: Michelle Lodge
- Colors By: Michelle Lodge
- Letters By: Eduardo Camucho
- Cover Art By: Michelle Lodge
- Cover Price: $3.00
- Release Date: December 2021 (estimated)
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Was It Good?
HOME FREE #1 is the latest indie submission from creator John Kratky about two strangers whose chance meeting in a diner leads to talk of past mistakes, recognition of present hurts, and action towards a better future.
At its best, HOME FREE #1 is a message of hope emphasizing the idea that it’s never too late to break the cycle of abuse and violence as long as you’re willing to take that first step. Thankfully, there is no “at its worst” contrast. This is a mature, thoughtful, sometimes tense, sometimes thrilling drama.
The gritty, somber world Kratky has constructed feels like a thousand stories you might find in Any City, USA where hurt people fall in with bad people resulting in a life of miserable despair. To be clear, this isn’t a drama with people sitting around talking all day. Emmy, one of the two protagonists, is given an opportunity to act, and when she takes it, the consequences are deadly serious. You can Emmy’s inner conflict as the fear of what might happen if she fails pushes against her desperate need to hold onto the glimmer of hope she’s given.
The oddity of this issue, which isn’t a negative, is the unusual sing-song dialog Kratky infuses into the majority of the early part of the comic between Emmy and Sara( the second protagonist). The back-and-forth is almost melodic, and while that’s not a bad thing, it feels odd compared to the grim nature of the story and adds a thin layer of surrealism to the events as they unfold.
This is our first exposure to the work of Lodge and Camucho, and their artwork here is impressive. Lodge has a strong command of realistic art in a B&W format, amplified with excellent grayscale shading. The sing-song dialog mentioned earlier, while odd, is carried off successfully by Camucho’s solid lettering via excellent word balloon placement.
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 two women, Emmy and Sara, crossing paths in a local pub/bar/diner. Sara notices Emmy’s black eye and strikes up a conversation. She was, Sara explains, where Emmy is now. Hopping from one man to the next, eventually ensnared by an abusive pimp until Sara found a way out.
Now working a simple job as a bank teller, Sara quit her safe job to move on to better things. If Emmy is tired of being broken and afraid, Sara is willing to take her along. The beginning of their relationship is kinship born out of similar trauma. They understand each other despite having just met. Emmy agrees to go with Sara.
Before they can leave town, Emmy needs to retrieve a precious keepsake back at the hotel where she’s kept by her pimp, Grip. At first, the coast to the motel and Emmy’s room is clear until all Hell breaks loose. We conclude the issue with allies becoming enemies, threats, and a river of blood.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
HOME FREE #1 is a tense, gripping drama centered on two women connected by a desire to escape an endless cycle of abuse. The writing is gritty and grim with a slightly surreal edge, and the art is surprisingly rich and photo-realistic for a B&W offering.
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