The Adventures of Apocalypse Al #1 Review

The Adventures of Apocalypse Al #1 starts off on a promising note, but the creative team -- writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist Sid Kotian -- have trouble maintaining that promise over the course of the issue. While hope that this book will be one to follow isn't entirely lost by the end (the plot remains intriguing), the inconsistent relationship between text and visuals, along with a protagonist that's more of a collection of personality traits than an actual person, leave us wanting more.

The book opens with Al (full name: Allison Carter) vanquishing a demon against the backdrop of the iconic Hollywood sign. Her witty banter and Southern California setting might possess echoes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but that's where the similarities end (with the exception of the bad guy trying to bring about the end of the world by opening up the Hellmouth -- I mean, door to hell). Al is a more mature take on the evil-crushing heroine, but there are times when her tough exterior verges into the realm of cliche. Even so, she has potential to grow into an interesting character in her own right, though it's disheartening to see her divested of her clothes in the book's final act for no greater reason than having a few cheesecake glimpses of her skimpy nightwear through her chronically unzipped jacket.

The art in Apocalypse Al is commendable; Kotian has a great eye for detail and Bill Farmer does some wonderful work with the colors. Unfortunately, the text is sometimes more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to the book's visuals. Straczynski's penchant for lengthy internal monologues does a bit too much telling, when the narrative could have benefitted from some more showing, and some parts of Al's narration read more like straight prose than they should considering the medium. The wonderful thing about comics is that it gives creators the opportunity to blissfully wed text and visuals, but here, there seems to be a disconnect between the two.

Melissa Grey wears Green Lantern pajamas to bed and writes stories for a living. She can be found on MyIGN at MelissaGrey or lurking on Twitter @meligrey.

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