SHELTER DIVISION #1, from Source Point Press on February 9th, 2022, introduces readers to an unusual crime-fighting unit composed of unusual beings tasked with stopping unusual crimes.
The Details
- Written By: Bob Salley
- Art By: Francesco Tomaselli
- Colors By: Francesco Tomaselli
- Letters By: HdE
- Cover Art By: Jose Jaro
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: February 9, 2022
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Was It Good?
How’s that for an accurate-yet-vague blurb?
SHELTER DIVISION #1 begins the latest series from Source Point Press and writer Bob Salley about a covert agency that uses inhuman individuals to stop crimes that regular police can’t handle. If that concept sounds familiar, you would be right. Both in the setup of the team, the eclectic “nature” of each team member, and the types of crimes they handle, it reads a lot like a cross between the BPRD and the MiB.
That’s a good thing. Source Point has an eclectic range of titles but nothing out recently that falls into the team of misfits category, so the introduction of a motley crew fighting supernatural/technology threats gives Source Point yet another feather in their cap.
“Stop stalling! How was it?” you admonish. Well, it’s not bad. There’s more positive than negative with the first issue, so we’ll kill the suspense and say this is a recommended pick. That said, it’s an imperfect recommendation.
First, the good stuff. The team is sufficiently weird enough to feel a strong sense of curiosity about each character’s backstory. The premise of the big crime seems exactly the kind of thing a covert team of “freaks” is meant to handle. There’s plenty of inventive action. And the issue ends on a strong cliffhanger reveal.
Then there’s the not-so-good stuff. A lot happens very fast. Too fast. In this issue, readers are introduced to at least nine new characters-of-importance and you’re barely given any time to learn about them before the story rushes off to the next scene. Instead of reading a story with a natural progression, flow, and rhythm, it feels like a rapid-fire succession of jump-cut snippets. In other words, you get a quick snapshot of a scene instead of a full scene and then rushed off to the next location.
A typical 24-hour page comic will have an average of 5-ish full scenes to get the plot across. This issue has, depending on where you mark the starts and stops, 9 different scenes. That’s a lot to cram into a 23-page issue.
The art is, overall, very good. The character designs are unique. The weaponry and outfits are interesting. And the action scenes are packed with energy.
The one down point in the art is the color blending. In several panels, the color textures look smudged or not as sharp as the lines surrounding them. It’s as if the digital brush was set several point sizes too wide. It’s by no means the worst coloring in the world, but the coloring isn’t as good as the linework, and it sticks out on several panels.
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]
Readers are (very quickly) introduced to Chaplin and Biggs as they try to stop a thief from getting away with a high-tech object. Chaplin appears to be some kind of cyborg (maybe?) and Biggs is a beast-man with feline facial features (maybe?). During the fight and pursuit, the thief gets away but not before Chaplin recovers the stolen item – a portable particle accelerator.
Later, we see the thief and his partner meet with the person who contracted them to steal the item. Failure is not tolerated and two become one.
Later, Chaplin arrives at a strip club where a similar group of high-tech thugs has come and gone, turning several of the strippers to stone with an unusual gun. However, the one girl they came to find is still there and alive. The police recover a photo dropped by one of the thugs that looks like the surviving stripper but she’s certain that she never took the photo.
Chaplin escorts the girl down to the subway to get her back to his underground HQ when the thief from the first heist catches up to them with his new partner. We conclude the issue with a subway shootout, more people turning to stone, and the confusion of the dropped photo clarified.
Final Thoughts
SHELTER DIVISION #1 starts off the series with a familiar-yet-entertaining premise about a covert team of inhuman crime fighters working to solve a high-tech conspiracy. There’s plenty of action, strong character designs, and plot movement. That said, the story tries to do too much too fast, and the art has some weaknesses, particularly in the coloring.
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