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Creative Team: Lee Loughridge (Story & Color), Andrew Robinson (Art), and Rob Tweedie (Design & Lettering)
STANDSTILL Published by Image Comics
FIRST THOUGHTS
“If you could stop time, what wouldn’t you do?”
That’s what this first issue asks about halfway through and leading up to the question a whole lot of other questions are asked. The remaining issue tells us that there’s a way you could be in a position to really answer that question with personal experience.
THE STORY
This first issue proposes a world where the ability to stop time has been created by the US Government through a lab of scientists and now that a device can stop time – that device has been stolen. This seems like a trope we’ve seen and/or read before, and while that may be true it is always about execution of the story that makes it successful or a failure. When a book has Lee Loughridge and Andrew Robinson on board, which isn’t something we see, readers need to stop and take notice because these two comic book legends are going to show you how to do it.
This issue is 60 pages of ‘welcome to this world’ action and introduction. While we’re not told his name in the issue, the solicitations give us the name of our protagonist – Ryker Ruel. Ruel is very busy in this issue being able to stop time, but as we learn he’s been up to a lot more around the world now that he has some help. And now we come back to the question of “what wouldn’t you do” and we’re not sure what Ruel won’t do just yet.
We’re introduced to Colin Shaw in this issue who is apparently one of the scientists that was involved in the creation of the device Ruel is in possession of and Shaw feels it is his responsibility to find whoever took the device, but how is he going to do that? We’ll have to wait and see.
This issue is a large one, but at no time reading this issue did it ever feel like it was too long. Every time a scene ended there was another one beginning to either amp up the story, give us an introduction to more players, or just give us more of what Ruel was up to. Loughridge has given us a great first issue that leaves you curious for what’s coming next and what more could you want?
THE ART
Andrew Robinson’s art throughout this issue is stunning. The facial expressions alone are amazing and are incredible additions to the storytelling, but just his character designs alone are worth the price of admission. We spend so much time with Ruel this issue we get to see him in a handful of situations and his demeanor changes depending on who he’s interacting with and Robinson just pours it out on the page and allows the reader to learn more about Ruel. There are a lot of moments where characters are shocked by what’s happening around them or surprised by the events and Robinson never phones it in and the issue is better because of it all. There’s detail in the foreground when there needs to be and the detail in the background fades from time to time as your attention is drawn elsewhere on the page.
Loughridge comes in with the colors on this issue and just adds that little bit of elevation to an already masterpiece of art and this becomes a stunning looking book that could easily tell the story with some amazing visuals.
The last piece of the puzzle that brings it all together is Rob Tweedie’s lettering. There are pages in this issue that are just art with no words and then you turn the page and get that punch of Tweedie’s work and you just stand there and stare and feel the impact of those words on the page.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is a book I haven’t heard a lot of people talking about and I’m a bit ashamed I haven’t talked about it more. STANDSTILL #1 is as solid a first issue as I’ve read in a while. Intriguing story. Amazing art. All done at the highest level. Easily one of the best first issues I’ve read all year.
RATING – 9 out of 10
