Minor Acts of Heroism: Issue #1
Written by Adriana Ferguson and Kristen Van Dam
Penciled by Adriana Ferguson
Inked By Kristen Van Dam
Colored by Kristen Van Dam
Lettered by Kristen Van Dam
Published by {No Publisher Listed}
Minor Acts of Heroism is a successful manga-inspired web comic that is making the jump to print and PDF. This first issue, Chapter 1: Play Date, is essentially a prologue which introduces most of the series’ major characters. Shy, quiet Sergio and bold, flamboyant Simon are thrown together for a pseudo playdate when their respective guardians, Dr. Bradley Thorne and Julius Catargiu, have an unexplained joint venture. It is revealed that Julius and Dr. Thorne are actually allied super heroes on a mission.
Meanwhile, thrown together unceremoniously and left to their own unsupervised devices, the painfully extroverted Simon quickly begins berating Sergio with questions about his life, past, the creepy house he lives in and his weird uncle. Introverted Sergio, uncomfortable with Simon’s verbal barrage, suggests they venture off to explore the dark, eerie and electricity-less mansion. It doesn’t take long for the boys to get in trouble, as two unattended twelve olds rightfully should, and discover exactly what and who are lurking in the basement.
The reader gets to know Simon and Sergio as they get to know each other, which in organic and unfrequented form of storytelling. It’s not often that a relationship between two characters is followed from its literal inception and straight on out from there. While their individual pasts are slowly leaked into the story via dialogue at appropriate intervals, the boys learn how to interact in real time with the reader.
The boys are very different, in both ascetics and personality, but share enough similarities that their friendship doesn’t feel contrived. Simon’s exorbitant chatter and Sergio’s sparse but well-timed replies add to the authenticity of their bond. Dialogue between the boys is interesting and believable in an age appropriate way without acting as a crutch for other forms of characterization, a mark which is often missed when adults write child characters. The conversations and even the obscenities that fly from Simon’s mouth on a regular basis give the character’s a dimension and gravity which makes them genuine and satisfying.
The character designs are obviously a mixture of traditional comics and Japanese manga novels. They work well as a vehicle for the plot and personality of each member of the ensemble. Sergio is dressed in dark clothes and has black hair, but his eyes are bright and always open. What he lacks in speech and forwardness he makes up for in his attention to detail. Simon on the other hand has blond Goku-esque hair and his brightly colored clothes match his loud persona.
The illustrations are vibrant and captivating without being too extreme or distracting with the exception of a couple of pages where it looks like someone got a little over zealous with fill bucket on MS Paint. One particularly affective scene has Sergio sitting against a dark backdrop, while Simon sits against a lightly colored wall. The panels alternate back and forth between the boys and mirror their conversation visually as the reader simultaneously absorbs the text. Perhaps the very best illustration is the monochrome cover which depicts Simon, partially unmasked, eating a candy bar. It sums up his unapologetic, unabashed fervor for doing what he thinks is best and taking life as it comes. It serves as a perfect embodiment of this comic. Fun, clever and well-executed.
– Rachel Brandt