Again, Vault Comics

I picked up Relics of Youth #1 from The Great Escape yesterday. I wasn't particularly interested in its contents, but I thought the cover looked cool:

The clean lines reminded me of Jamie Hernandez and / or Adrian Tomine...both of whom I love immensely. This is also one of Vault Comics's Homage Covers, and even though I didn't recognize the source for this one, I like the idea of the homage covers very much. (More on this at https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2019/08/vault-comics_31.html if you want it.) 

The cover being homaged here, by the way, is the Rick Remender / 
Wesley Craig / Lee Loughridge Deadly Class #1...which just so happens to be on sale at Comixology for 99$ right now, so I might have to take a look at that. The cover looks like this:

And the Comixology blurb and preview of it makes it look worth my and your while. Also, I've been impressed with Rick Remender's writing in the past. Especially Black Science and The Last Days of American Crime. And Low. Hmmm. Now I want to read more Black Science. I wonder if the library has any of that on tap? 

ANYway. Relics of Youth #1 was a good comic book. Good enough that I find myself thinking that I might have to check out the next issue, and that really doesn't happen all that often these days. The art was just kind of okay, to be honest. Functional, serviceable, but not flashy or particularly noteworthy. Which does sound like a left-handed compliment, I know, but in these days when so much comic book art is ugly and / or stupid, this really doesn't mean "mediocre" to me. Let's put it this way: the art tells the story, and that's what it's supposed to do. I wouldn't buy the book if I didn't like the story, though.

Ahem. As for the story. Well, I was impressed. Neither Matt Nicholas nor Chad Rebmann have a lot of writing credits to their name, but they did a good job here. They created some good, unique characters. They have a good sense of humor. And they know how to tell a story. In this case, an adventure into the Bermuda Triange with some mystical overtones and weird tattoos. Pretty much something for everyone, I'd say.

Also, Vault Comics seems determined to give you as much for your money as they can. This issue is 28 pages long (plus a one page teaser for the next issue)...and no ads whatsoever. That's particularly exciting for me, having just finished reading a DC comic in which I was momentarily convinced that Batman was having a psychotic episode in which he went after Catwoman for some violation involving a Snickers bar.

(This ad appears after the fifth story page, without so much as a CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE FOLLOWING! or any other kind of BY YOUR LEAVE.)

So...give it a try. It's a good little adventure story. 

And I, for one, am going to be keeping an eye on the Vault Comics release schedule from here on out. (This week's, btw, goes like this:

I'm particularly interested in Plot #1 Cover B, which goes here:

If you don't recognize the source for that one, it's the Great Bernie Wrightson's House of Secrets (1956-1978) #92...coming soon to an overpriced Facsimile Edition near you.

Alas, it wasn't on the stands when I got there, but maybe next week? News as it happens.)