Red 5 Comics

Yesterday, I got a hold of some small press comics from Red Five Comics. (Independents?) Neozoic. Atomic Robo. Abyss. Drone. A friendly and enthusiastic rep was handing out freebies from some past wingding. I have only read two, but they did spur some initial thoughts.

Neozoic has an interesting premise: dinosaurs have survived and medieval-ish humans must battle with them for coexistence. The other, Atomic Robo, recounts the adventures of a 1920s atomic robot with artificial intelligence—not quite as exciting. Neozoic is reminiscent of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard. The artwork reinvigorates the early nineteenth century, giving them a fresh, bold feel. Robo’s colors infused the sparse utilitarianism of 1940s industrialism with elegance. (Robo’s blue parka is a study of simplicity and texture. Not surprisingly, he has made it onto an iPhone ad.)

The storylines in both are rough, leaving passages and events unclear. Although Clevinger’s Atomic Robo is better executed than Ens’s Neozoic, both narratives fail to live up to the artwork—especially to the colors of Wegner in Robo and the art of Korim in Neozoic.
Perhaps I am easily dazzled by pretty pictures and impatient with rough hewn storytelling. Not sure. I am still a novice in this world. Either way, I reached the end of both stories without fully understanding how I arrived there.

A Question
With that rambling discourse in mind, would someone fill me in on the role and place of these small presses? Are the best and brightest snatched up by the corporate giants? Or do these indies provide new artists with a place to grow and polish skills?



No doubt, though. He is cool.

Recommendations?
I may fork out the $19 for Neozoic. (I have been a sucker for Tarzan and his cronies since I was twelve. Plus I like Lilli’s bellybutton much better than Robo’s dull sheen.) Then again, I may not. Hard choices have to be made, and the wife watches the AmEx bills closely. I may just download it on my PSP.

Bayard