Grifter #1

Serise:  Grifter

Words: Nathan Edmonson
Images:  CAFI, Gorder
Issue Number: 1
Release Date: In reality September but our cover reads November 2011
Format: Comic

Like I mentioned in my review of Voodoo I had written a review of Grifter when it first came out and just forgot that I hadn't uploaded it. Tragically right after I promised to upload it ASAP I managed to break my desk top computer and lost it.

So sorry for the delay but life happens.

Grifter was another one of those “well I may as well try it” adds to our recent pull. Grifter was far more science fiction then what I was used to from D.C. This is not necessarily a bad thing. If your sole reason for reading comics is because you like to read about SuperHeros doing SuperHeroicThings well then Grifter certainly is not for you.

Heck I am pretty open about none super hero comics and I was at first going to give it a skip. Then I read a summary of it and it seemed worth checking out.

However, if you like science fiction. If you enjoyed Falling Skies. If you liked the original miniseries of V. If you thought there were good ideas in Puppet Masters. If you liked Earth the Final Conflict. Then it very well may be worth checking out.

The Grifter seamlessly blends conspiracy theory with alien invasion in a way that was page turning instead of cheesy. Over all? It makes for a good set up for a potentially good series. It is well worth keeping your eye out for and if it continues on an upswing it will be well worth reading.

At this point there is not too much for me to rant about in terms of deconstructing. But with science fiction that usually ends up slowly coming. The art while not as mind blowingly amazing as Batwoman is good. And in the artist's defense the same style of art probably wouldn't transfer over quite as well. It complimented the story very well and is probably above average in general. I was not taken out of the story because of little cheats like everyone having the same facial expressions. One of the biggest strengths in the art work is the designs behind the alien creatures (as of yet unidentifiied) when they are not passing themselves off as human. Rather then giving the reader too many visual details the alien's themselves are mostly see through and that works. It works really, really well.

As a comic. To be honest? I wouldn't suggest the average person buy it in single issues unless you have the patience of a saint. This has all the makings of a great graphic novel and I think it will read much better when you can get larger chunks of the story. Walking away from the first issue I was left wanting more but I am very impatient and with stories like this far too often I want to read it all in one big sitting.