By: Nate Simpson (everything)
This issue has had a lot (and I mean a TON) of buzz online from folks “in the know.” I’ve seen no fewer than 4-5 established creators tweeting about how awesome this title is. This is a mixed blessing. In some ways, it is a good thing because I think all comic fans want to find “the next big thing” and get in on the ground floor. But, it can also create some unfair expectations where you finish the comic and say, “Well, that was OKAY, but it wasn’t all that.”
In some ways, we should all know intellectually that this is an incredibly stupid practice. Could you tell from issue #1 that Fables was going to be awesome? What about The Walking Dead? How about Y the Last Man or Planetary? Of course, they were all “good” #1 issues, but what made those comic series awesome is the way they sustained their excellence over 20+ issues. As you’ll see below, Nonplayer #1 had a good first issue, but the story of whether this is a series to watch won’t be written for some time.
What’s Good: Well, if you like digital art, this is going to light your socks on fire. The digital linework is so complex and fine and detailed that each panel has a LOT to look at. And the color palate is very soft and muted giving all of the panels a lush feel. And the characters are vital and lifelike. There isn’t a ton more to say: The artwork is very good.
The story is simple and straightforward. We start out following a couple of character in a fantasy setting. From the way they are speaking to each other, you can kinda gather that these are actually gaming avatars and the characters are in one of those massive online games. This scene leads to some well-done fantasy action and the obligatory cut back to the character’s real life, which is not as pretty and elegant as their fictional world. There is one pretty cool twist on an awesome final splash page that makes us wonder just how similar/different this world really is compared to ours.
What’s Not So Good: It’s harder to write these reviews on a buzz heavy title like Nonplayer (or Skullkickers or Infinite Vacation) because you feel the need to justify why you have failed to join the chorus anointing the #1 issue as the best comic ever. You just feel like a turd….
Even though I do like the art, my personal tastes are MUCH more on the side of hand done pencil/ink linework. I like to see a varied and nuanced line that is just very difficult to get digitally and I want to see more vibrant looking characters. And, the ultimate secret to getting “full credit” on a review from me is that I have to visit the artist’s website and at least see how much the artist is charging for his/her original art and I wasn’t tempted to do that in this case. It’s quite good, but I have no urge to hang this on my wall.
And the story is still nothing spellbinding. It may well become a great story and it is worth keeping an eye on the stories that guys like Bendis are buzzing about on twitter. Sometimes I suspect that they’ve seen the whole pitch for the series or at least a couple of future scripts, but there really isn’t anything in this #1 story beyond boy and girl play on-line game but their real existence is much less idyllic. I also have no personal attachment to multiplayer gaming (I even think it is kinda dumb), so that might be hampering my connection with the story since I’ve never spent time wondering about the real lives of the other people in some game.
Conclusion: A pretty interesting first issue with great art. It doesn’t quite live up to the hype with this issue, but often series that are this heavily hyped DO turn out to be pretty good even if you can’t really tell it on the first issue.
Grade: B-
– Dean Stell
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