The Midas Flesh is the first title released through the Boom Box line of Boom Studios. Boom Box is being advertised as a venue that will allow creators to release original material and “run with it”, going into areas of creativity and entertainment that has been previously unavailable for anyone but well established people within the larger published product comic lines. This planned eight issue series is the creation of Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics, Adventure Time) and it features illustration by Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb. This first issue focuses on miracles, miracles of life, death, and gold transmutation? We are introduced to the characters of Joey, the leader, Cooper, a talking dinosaur science officer of sorts, and Fatima, the lady behind the engine of the three’s space vessel. They are on a mission to recover something at an ancient planet, one that resembles our very own Earth, but apparently not quite the Earth that we are used to as the entire surface looks to be covered completely in gold. There is a bad guy element here in the form of The Federation, but not much is known about them yet other than they wield great power and have brought destruction upon our three here in this story, or at least the world that they apparently knew.
While all of this is going on, we are given a little side story in the tale of King Midas, but in more of a modern fairy tale way than of the old Greek myth variety. I found both story lines to be pleasantly written and easy to follow which is an essential for any first issue.
I can see why people like the writing of Ryan North. He writes in a way that is smooth and relaxed. He doesn’t rush things and he allows ample interaction with all involved to gain good insight into our limited knowledge of the characters. We are made aware of the destruction that has occurred and of our three’s mission to find “something” that may help turn the tides of misfortune around. We also have some action and recognize that The Federation is a formidable foe, even if their defenses on this planet are considered “ancient” in the view of our characters.
The artwork done by Paroline and Lamb are nice, but I was slightly put off as the drawings represent a light hearted nature where a little more grittiness may have been more appropriate. However, redemption does occur with the Midas side of the story where I think the art built up the light heartedness and pulled the rug out from the reader depicting a much darker tone and possibly showing the reader that though light currently, our characters will be experiencing more intensive threats that are real and depicted within the art. All characters are well drawn and capture the essence of the person that is generated through North’s writing. You can tell that these three on the creative team have good experience working together and they know how to ebb and flow with each art medium as it calls for it. They show the three in the story acting the same way.
Overall impressions of this issue, I would say not bad. It held my interest, was pretty to look at, and I am curious to see what will become of our three as it looks like they will be encountering some possible threats that will make what looks like a simple mission thus far, into a blistering action story.
Score: 3/5
Writer: Ryan North Artists: Shelli Paroline & Braden Lamb Publisher: Boom Studios/Boom Box Price: $3.99 Release Date: 12/18/13