Amazing Age #0 Review

Amazing Age

Written by: Matthew David Smith
Pencils, Inks, and Letters: Jeremy Massie
Colored by: Christine Brunson
Publisher: Alterna Comics
Review by: Andrew McAvoy


I first came across Alterna Comics a few years ago when they gave me a free copy of Mother Russia. Then a few weeks back I had a really enjoyable time with their Zero Jumper title which was a pretty interesting and fun book. The cover for The Amazing Age caught my eye because it looked colorful and wacky, which is my main niche interest in comic books. It reminded me of Golden Age classic comics, and (in the best way in the world) I think it had a certain DIY quality to it that made it really appealing to me. I feel as if comics are so accessible because they can potentially be a DIY enterprise and that should be their strength. Let's see how this issue was.

Well, it is important to mention a few things before we get into the actual plot. This is Alterna's free comic book issue, and it is free on Comixology, so it is designed very much as an entry point for this title. To that end, it works pretty well. Secondly, it is aimed at all ages so the eye-catching quality I was referring to above is likely to sit well with kids of all ages (hey I'm a big kid at heart - I mean look at those quirky outfits our heroes are wearing on the cover).

Plot-wise Matthew David Smith's issue is aimed at explaining to us how Sam, Mike, and Violet end up in the comic book world of the Amazing Age.  There are sinister forces amassing on one hand around the trio, and a group of heroes trying to guard them on the other. So in terms of plot, its pretty straightforward, and this issue teases us for the first issue proper. There are also some nice details, about Sam's story and some sympathy is rendered for what would seem to be the central character in this tale.

In terms of art, this is likely to be a book that won't appeal to everyone. If like me, you like a classic style to your books, with a little bit of a modern twist then it will be really appealing. Special mention to Christine Brunson's coloring, which really makes the pages stand out. Again, this is an all-ages book, so if you are looking for a book that will appeal equally to you and your son or daughter then this is a great little entry level book that you can have a chat about after you both have read.

Bits and Pieces:

This book is likely to be appreciated by old-school comic book lovers. In hard copy, it will be in newsprint which already has a nostalgia factor. The cover has a great little nod to the Marvel Comic boxes of the early 1990s proudly proclaiming the 1 year anniversary of the Amazing Age 2017-18. The cover is plain and simple but showcases the range of heroes and the collective design of the characters comes across well. At 19 pages in total including covers it is a little short in terms of fully grounding the reader but what do you expect for free? If anything this is a little incentive to buy the reasonably priced issue 1 proper. A fun little book and great for kids.

7/10