HORNSBY & HALO #1, by Image Comics on 11/27/24, sets the stage for a celestial truce when the heirs apparent of Heaven and Hell are sent to Earth as infants in the ultimate test of Nature versus Nurture.
Credits:
- Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
- Artist: Peter Snejbjerg
- Colorist: John Kalisz
- Letterer: Rob Leigh
- Cover Artist: Peter Snejbjerg, John Kalisz
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: November 27, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 36
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of HORNSBY & HALO #1:
First Impressions:
After one or two passes, I can honestly say Hornsby & Halo #1 is perfectly fine. Writer Peter J. Tomasi spends the lion’s share of the issue establishing the setup and depicting a day in the life of each character to explain why Zach and Rose are who they are. When the fun and games kick in, which should be the big hook, the result is not much more than mildly interesting.
Plot Analysis:
Hornsby & Halo #1 begins with a multi-page explanation of the who, what, when, where, why, and how this story came to be. A great war fought between Heaven and Hell ended with the declaration of a peace offering on both sides. Each faction would offer up the future heirs of their respective kingdoms to be raised on Earth by families with the exact opposite dispositions to their natures. The hope is that each would gain an appreciation of life without the benefit of ideal surroundings so that they would learn to peacefully coexist in the future.
To Peter J. Tomasi’s credit, the background behind Zach and Rose’s predicament feels big and is suitably well-constructed such that you want to know more about what happened. Who started the war? What were they fighting over? Tomasi gives readers just enough to get a complete picture without turning the comic into a factional history lesson.
Zachary Halo, the future heir to Heaven, will be raised by a childless and unscrupulous couple who run a funeral home. Over the course of the issue, we see Zach is unappreciated and ignored by the Halos. Rose Hornsby, the future Queen of Hell, is a creative girl raised by the loving Hornsby family. Both young adults attend the same school, unaware of their true natures or the circumstances that placed them on Earth.
We’re introduced to Zach and Rose on a school bus where typical (cliché) bullying shenanigans take place. Rose is picked on, and Zach has an opportunity to shut it down, which he almost does, but not really. The bus scene works to establish the current status quo, but you don’t get a clear picture of either of their personalities, which is what you really need to get invested in their respective journeys.
Later, Zach and Rose exit the school bus at their respective spots, both under the watchful eye of the bus driver, who may not be human. Rose enters her family-run Community Center, greeted with a big surprise birthday party. Zach comes home to find a hastily scribbled note and a ten-dollar bill from his parents with a suggestion to get himself a pizza for his birthday.
The contrasting birthday scenes help to give readers a view into Zach and Rose’s home lives. Rose is loved and welcomed within a warm circle of family and friends. Zach has no one to share special moments with besides his cat. You can see how Rose’s family is distinctly opposite to her Hellish nature, but Zach’s environment is more sad and empty than anything that would strike you as the opposite of Heaven.
The issue concludes with both youngsters falling asleep on the night of their birthday and having a very vivid dream about intercepting a pair of grave robbers.
Overall, Hornsby & Halo #1 is a perfectly fine first issue that spends a lot of time on the background and establishing the status quo of two characters who don’t realize they’re not of this Earth. Peter J. Tomasi’s script goes a long way toward establishing the world and circumstances, but once the plot kicks in, you’ll feel like you’re reading a basic, vanilla, YA hero story.
Artwork and Presentation:
Peter Snejbjerg’s artwork bears the burden of bringing the mundane and celestial aspects of the story to life with equal believability, and for the most part, Snejbjerg succeeds. The character designs, much like Tomasi’s script, present as thoroughly thought through, fully realized, fleshed out, and believable. It may be that the lack of personality from Rose and Zach is due to the lack of emotion expressed by the characters in the art, but that may be an intentional choice.
Art Samples:
Final Thoughts:
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HORNSBY & HALO #1 is a thorough, well-constructed setup for a story about two early teens on the verge of realizing they are not of this Earth. Peter J. Tomasi’s central premise has a lot of potential, and Peter Snejbjerg’s artwork is well above average. That said, the issue lacks a strong hook to tell you about Zach and Rose’s journey, and you don’t get a read on their personalities, so there’s nothing here to grab you.
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