Comic Review: Join The Future #1 (Aftershock Comics)

Comic Review: Join The Future #1 (Aftershock Comics)

Writer: Zack Kaplan
Artist: Piotr Kowalski, Brad Simpson
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Fans of Capes And Scowls should know all about writer Zack Kaplan. We interviewed him a few years back when his first comic book Eclipse was coming out and again last year at New York Comic Con. Zack is a sweet man who truly loves the art of storytelling. He sold us on this fact with Eclipse and kept the faith with Port of Earth and Lost City Explorers. Now Kaplan is back with a new science fiction / western series titled “Join The Future”.
In the first issue of “Join The Future”, which is out this Wednesday both digitally and at your LCS, we see Kaplan explore a utopian society and how it could divide whole cities. Topics like Universal Healthcare, Universal Basic Income, 3-D printing, and organic food are explored in a manner that makes us question how much technology has infiltrated our lives and how much control we are willing to give up. The reader is never beaten over the head with these topics or made to feel bad for wanting them, rather made to start asking questions. Could this be our reality? What would large corporations need to make this happen? All in due time.
Kaplan is joined by the art team of Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson who are known for working together on Sex, Bloodbourne and The Witcher. The world building that is accomplished through the art is incredible. Taking a sentence or two from Kaplan and giving us detailed panels of society in a controlled bubble is fascinating. At the same time, life outside the futuristic city is more reminiscent of frontier times. Cities all working together to make do and survive in the shadow of a taunting neighboring metropolis.  The western side looks raw and dirty yet loving and familial. It is comparable to cities explored in comics like “The Walking Dead” except these characters are already more likable.             Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou does amazing work as letterer, and I am big on letting everyone know when I see promising lettering. Hassan is perfect using a variety of speech bubbles and fonts to hammer home the emotional tone needed. Trust me when I say lettering is so important to the medium, and we take it for granted too often.
I am a huge fan of Zack. If you tend to enjoy comics I recommend feel free to add this one to your pullbox. I would much rather support a company like Aftershock and try a new series than dive into a “Big 2” mega event that accomplishes less at three times the cost. Give Kaplan and crew a shot. I doubt you will regret it. If you love what you see you can check out his back catalog starting with Eclipse. Thank you Aftershock, Kaplan, Kowalski, Simpson and Otsmane-Elhaou. Best of luck!

 

-Tim

@Mad_Dog_Tim on Twitter