“Red Roots #1” Review – A Fantastic Crisis of Two Worlds

As said by Lorenzo De Felici himself, the important word here is “two”. Two main characters, two different stories, two different life experiences. Yet through strange events, the worlds of a killer and a schoolteacher are connecting, slowly but surely in unexpected ways. Be ready for the ride of your life as Sean and I tackle “Red Roots #1”.

Writer/Artist: Lorenzo De Felici
Letters: Rus Wooton

The Roots of a Classic

Shawn: It’s always a rare treat when you get a creative pulling double or triple duty on a comic. It’s even more impressive when they manage to do all of them well. Lorenzo De Felici manages to do an outstanding job with both writing and art in “Red Roots #1”.

De Felici almost gives me whiplash with the quick narrative jump from dark and deadly to bright classroom, but it works. The story is dark and foreboding, but reels you in. De Felici gave us so many twists and turns in this single issue I really can’t see where the story goes from here. This truly is a case of world’s colliding, and I loved every minute of it. I was on the edge of my seat and left wanting more.

Edalyn: Right from the very first page, I knew we were in for something special. The opening quote pulled from the song “Roots Bloody Roots” by Brazilian metal band Sepultura really sets the tone here. The song is about heritage, identity and inner resilience, all themes that present themselves beautifully in this opening issue. Though how De Felici presents them really makes me wonder what level of brilliance and insanity is going on in his head.

Also, as Shawn said, there’s so many twists and turns here. At no point was I able to guess what would happen next, and I loved it. It feels as if De Felici grips your hand tight, pulls you in and whisks you away without warning, expecting you to trust him. I don’t know how, but it just works and wonderfully at that. The story will leave you asking several questions, enticing you to come back for more. The spell most certainly worked on me.

Imagery Connects Us

Shawn: As I mentioned, De Felici pulled double duty, taking care of the art as wel,l and it’s beautiful. I think De Felici shows one of the beautiful things about joint artists/writers, which is that when you’re handling the art as well, you can sometimes tell more story because you know what you want.

The art in this issue is stunning. The colors and the lines all match the moment and mood. When you finally understand the namesake of the story, you’re treated to some of the most gorgeous but outrageous art in the issue. De Felici manages to shine both as a writer and an artist in this issue.

Edalyn: With as much as he shined in the writing, De Felici did equally so in the artwork. Everything about it is so visually striking that it will be on your mind for weeks. In fact, as I’m writing this, several pages stand out to me, mainly the ones that didn’t use character dialogue at all.

That, to me, can be one of the beauties of being great at both writing and art. De Felici knows when to let which lines tell the story: the spoken ones or the drawn ones. The moments here of showing and not telling are absolutely brilliant, from the details to the lighting and coloring. Phenomenal work all around.

Final Thoughts – Overall: 10/10

Shawn: What a ride. I’m on the edge of my seat, waiting to see where this goes next. This is intriguing and unique. The story provides a solid foundation to build on going forward. – 10/10

Edalyn: De Felici does nothing but work wonders in this introductory issue. So far, this is like nothing I’ve ever read before, and it got me hook, line and sinker. – 10/10

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Comments

Were you able to pick up “Red Roots #1?” If so, what did you think? Let us know in the comments below!