I was intrigued by this new comic coming out from Image. Not only did the cover reak of horror fiction, but John Arcudi and James Harren came together to co-create this new comic. I just couldn’t pass up on this comic, and you shouldn’t either. When a #1 issue comes out, it is hard to get all the ideas across you want. Strictly from a reader's perspective, you don’t want too much information but you don’t want it to be so vague that you didn’t grasp anything. I think the two things that you always need are 1. a character you can relate to and 2. a story that has some intense mystery. Luckily for Rumble, Arcudi and Harren did both...really well! Our main character in this issue is Bobby (I’ll explain that later). He is a bartender and gossips regularly about this girl he likes more than a friend. He asks for advice, but most of the drunks just tolerate his stories to be entertained while getting free drinks. His story, right away, is relatable. Bobby wants something he can’t have but has this humorous way of showing his emotions. It is fun and makes you feel like one of the loners at the bar listening to his story. Readers will find themselves wanting to join this bar and all the characters inside.
But just when you think the story is going to go slow from the beginning, in comes this shadow/scarecrow figure ready to attack. You don’t know his story nor do you know where he came from, but he leaves a sword. This is where the real story starts to unfold. The horror elements start to come out when the sword needs to make its way back to the owner. I love the horror layered with humor. It is a good balance, and probably the best I have seen in a while.
The art is perfect for this series too. It has a lot creepy drawings, empty town, monsters, dim lights, and so on, and yet it still feels like home in a way. It still has that hope of something good, crazy, or insane is going to happen. I can’t wait to dive back in.
The first issue of Rumble is well-rounded and delivers on all ends. I hope that Bobby can stay with us, but I don’t know if this will be a comic where we follow different main characters or if Bobby will always be in the mix of things. I think him staying would be an advantage, but maybe he needs a sidekick or two. So Rumble keep this up, because readers will get hooked on the mystery surrounding this town.
Score: 4/5
Writer: John Arcudi Artist: James Harren Colorist: Dave Stewart Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 12/17/14 Format: Print/Digital