Curiosity got the better of me when it came to picking up Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs. Perhaps it looked a little too much like Bravestar which got my nostalgia bell ringing. Whatever the case I decided to read Lion Force Comics’ Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs. The gist of the issue is that Joshua our lead Star Sheriff is hot on the tracks of a train that’s being hijacked. Basically picture every western era stereotype and then make it high tech, just like Bravestar and that’s the look and feel of the world. Joshua runs into a bounty hunter, Colt and they take on the train robbers which include an ex-Star Sheriff that was once considered the best ever. They don’t succeed and another Star Sheriff, April Eagle, is sent to oversee the operation of stopping our former Star Sheriff.
To boil down this formula even more, it’s Green Lantern mixed with Bravestar and basically a lot of other 80s cartoons. This comic book read like it was an ad for a toy line and frankly if I were a kid, I would have been ready to buy.
The writing is simple. There’s a ton and I mean a ton of exposition. I don’t think Joshua says more than a few things that aren’t exposition and that includes his narration and dialogue. The characters are pretty one dimensional at the moment. They’re character types more than anything and we’ll see if they can be anything more than that.
It’s clear that this is geared towards children since it’s really not that good. I mean the writing is just so-so, but nothing worse than you’ll find at just about any publisher. And really I have no problem with it being for kids. This isn’t all-ages, it’s a kid’s comic book and if I were a kid, again I would probably really like it and want to read more. That’s a great thing to do. Comics as a whole continue to try and make stories that are for everyone, but really they’re either for adults or children. They rarely are for both and instead of wasting a lot of time trying to be for both, I wish there were more comics like this that read like an afternoon cartoon and had the art to back it up as well. The simple fact is, I’ll probably read the second issue just because I like the kids cartoon feel to it.
The art is again, not the greatest. It’s strong and very consistent, but there’s a lack of detail to the overall world and especially to the character’s faces. When they’re suited up and riding space horses, the series shines, but that’s not the entire issue. The coloring is decent. It could definitely be used to add more detail to the characters and world without it getting into a “mature” look and tone, but it again captures that afternoon cartoon look and I’m really okay with that.
At this point I should mention that I do know that this is based on a cartoon, but it was not one I was familiar with or had ever watched. I’m sure that some people will have a difference of opinion on the book because of nostalgia; either positive or negative, but for me this was a good first experience with the property.
You have a lot of details on what this book is. It’s a little like Green Lantern and Bravestar. It reads and looks like a kids cartoon and makes no effort to appeal to adults. At this point you have to decide if these are good things to you or if they’re bad. For me, they’re pretty damn good. It doesn’t make the issue amazing, but it did make it entertaining and that definitely surprised me.
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Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs #1 Writer: Mairghread Scott Artist: Sendol Arts Publisher: Lion Forge Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 3/16/16 Format: Mini-Series; Digital