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Writers: Grant Sputore, Ryan Engle
Artist: Jay Martin
Letterer: Frank Cvetkovic
“Every comic is someone’s first.” – that classic Stan Lee quote regarding how every comic reader has to start somewhere. The same can be said for creators as well as every creator has to start somewhere too. I say this because Behemoth #1 marks writers Grant Sputore and Ryan Engle first foray into the world of comics. We have seen similar writers attempt to make the transitions from Film and TV into funny books with varying degrees of success and failure. So could they avoid some of the common pitfalls?
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To start they stayed within a genre they are familiar with as this resides in the land of giant monsters. Previously they both worked on the film Rampage and are using that experience to help craft this tale. This too involves a giant monster rampaging through a city but we are getting a new twist on that idea, or will be after the events of this first issue.
Monster stories are made and broken by their human characters and so far we are getting a glimpse of our main protagonist Sara. One of the most common pitfalls new comic writers fall into is trying to give you too much upfront though forceful exposition that messes with the flow of the story. That did not happen here. Sara’s actions give you what you need to know in ways words could not. We see she’s pulling no punches in life running her own food truck but also working at an Amazon-like factory just to get by.
Also based on the words of those around her she has lost someone close to her which leads her to take reckless action to save her food truck. It is not just that she has money invested in it. She built that business with someone she cared about and that truck is all that is left of that connection. So when a flood is about to hit New York she is focused on saving it no matter the danger. What she does not realize is what that flood is actually bringing.
So right away we get a character full of drive that you have reason to be invested in despite knowing only general details. Nothing here is revolutionary simply sound storytelling that establishes the basics of what is needed for this story to work long-term. By showing and not telling it makes for a breeze read as well. One of the types of reads that flows to its end rather quickly. On the positive, that means it never gets bogged down, while on the downside it also does not give you a whole lot to sink your teeth into.
Another major pitfall new comic writers fall into is not trusting their artists to tell the story. Words will dominate the page to the point where you cannot see the art. That did not happen here. Most of this story was in the hands of Jay Martin to tell. When it comes to a story involving a monster one of the most important elements is the use of scale. You want the presence of the monster to mean something and get a sense of the aurora around them. That happened here from the start.
In the opening, we get a scene taking place on the sea. What starts as an innocuous sequence turns quickly as this gigantic creature engulfs a massive ship. One smart thing they did with that scene was show us an average-sized boat to start that more people would be familiar with. Then placing that boat next to the humongous vessel allows your brain to better understand what you are looking at so when the monster does appear your head can calculate what exactly you are looking like
Jay Martin also did double duty as the colorist and in that opening scene showcases some impressive skill. A sequence taking place at night in the middle of the ocean is not the easiest thing to light but it looked quite good, and the way he was able to illuminate the beast was cinematic in its execution. The overall design of the creature left a bit to be desired, but considering the majority of the story will be taking place inside the creature can understand why the focus was placed elsewhere.
One of my favorite uses of scale had nothing to do with the monster but rather seeing Sara inside her factory job. What you saw looked like an endless building of people packaging material in a room less lit than the monster in the middle of the ocean. You could see how powerless she was in this position. Just a small cog in a machine far too big for any one person to move. Then when that action did begin Martin shined once again giving fans of disaster stories plenty of eye candy ot engulf.
Overall GRADE: 7/10
One challenge in analyzing this issue is that so far in the story we have mostly gotten a standard monster tale. That’s because what will make this story different will not begin until the next issue as the journey begins anew inside the monster. Much needed groundwork was established so that the idea could flourish but there are still a lot of unknowns. So far though despite some of the comic book inexperience on this creative team, there’s plenty of reason to see those unknowns explored. If you are a fan of monster tales or kuji action Behemoth #1 gives you plenty of reasons to be excited.
