SUPER ADVANCED REVIEW: THE F1RST HERO # 1

THE F1RST HERO # 1
Written by Anthony Ruttgaizer
Art by Phillip Sevy & Fred C Stresing
Action Lab Entertainment

This will be a spoiler free review.

                In a world where having super powers is so taboo, that it automatically is met with force, Jake Roth narrates his story for us. Join Jake as we see his world and how his powers emerged. 

ART:

                Sevy and Stresing bring us Jake Roth’s story. The art does a good job of telling a story, with a style that isn’t overly detailed unless it needs to be. The panel work gives enough detail to immerse readers into. The lines are  a little thicker than normal but works for the story and the setting. I am impressed with how well Sevy gets Regan’s face looks in this. The action is good and Sevy does a good job, giving some good perspectives here and there. The backgrounds are ok with some good detail. I did especially enjoy Sevy and Stresing use of shadows when Jake is tied up. A pretty good opening shot form the art team.

WRITING:

                Ruttgaizer has some great narrative here. Jake Roth comes across very believable, likable and vulnerable in this one issue. Ruttgaizer’s choice to have Roth tell the readers the story through his own narrative alongside regular dialogue really helps build on the character and the world. Ruttgaizer moves the issue well, with a perfect pace that both explains the world of The First Hero and Roth well. Roth gets some great character development as we learn of his fears as well as his sense of duty. Roth already starts as a complex character and Ruttgaizer builds upon that, using both the world around him and Roth’s personality to make the story personal, compelling and different from most other super powered hero comics.  The dialogue was very authentic for the characters which only added to how well the book is written. While we didn’t see a supporting cast yet, the fact that Ruttgaizer uses Roth as the main narrator makes it okay.  An extremely well- written and well constructed first issue.

FINAL VERDICT:

                The writing is top notch with some good art by Sevy and Stresing. The book has just begun but we have a great, complex main character that I look forward to seeing in this world where just having super powers is a death sentence. The great narrative and the easy style make this a great first issue.

                I give The First Hero # 1 a 4 out of 5. Great job. Order this book today.

 For more information, retailers can contact Kelly Dale at kdale@actionlabcomics.com. For press and conventions you can reach Jamal Igle at jigle@actionlabcomics.com.

The F1rst Hero Preview

  

QUESTIONING THE SANITY OF SUPERHEROES IN ACTION LAB’S ‘THE F1RST HERO’

A WORLD OF SUPERPOWER-FUELED CRIMINAL INSANITY GIVES BIRTH TO ITS FIRST SUPERHERO.

PITTSBURGH, PA - What if everyone who ever had superpowers had gone insane and became a threat to society?  If one man were to manifest powers yet somehow keep his sanity, would he choose to use his new abilities to help the innocent?  Or would he keeps his powers a secret to protect himself and his loved ones from a world that hates and fears his kind?  These are the questions asked in THE F1RST HERO, the latest release from Action Lab Entertainment.

Written by radio host/pop culture commentator and professional wrestler Anthony Ruttgaizer, the series is couched in real world events.  Jacob Roth, a US Marine serving in Afghanistan, is just a few days shy of returning to the States.  In the heat of battle, Roth discovers that he is an “extrahuman”, a being whose extraordinary abilities normally come at a horrible price.  But even if he masters his new powers, Roth must still deal with a society that will see him as a ticking time bomb, easier to dispose of than to defuse.

Ruttgaizer doesn’t shy away from controversy, tackling real world history in establishing a grounded setting for THE F1RST HERO, and he has assembled an amazingly talent art team to help him tell this tale.  Anthony is joined by artist Phillip Sevy (a runner-up in Top Cow’s 2013 Talent Hunt), colorist/letterer Fred C. Stressing (Adventure Time Annual, Hello Kitty), with covers by Lee Moder (Wonder Woman, Shinku) and an issue 1 variant cover by Jamal Igle (Terminator, G.I. Joe).  The first story arc runs for four monthly issues starting in August.

 For more information, retailers can contact Kelly Dale at kdale@actionlabcomics.com. For press and conventions you can reach Jamal Igle at jigle@actionlabcomics.com.
 
ABOUT ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT- Formed in 2010 with the purpose of pooling their collective talents into a single, powerful entity, the members of Action Lab Entertainment have countless years in multimedia publishing, design, and business.  Their first release, Fracture, was successfully funded through Kickstarter and since then they have continued their mission to produce high quality, genre-spanning entertainment.  Since its formation, the accolades for A.L.E continue to build on a daily basis.  Among its more popular titles are all ages material like the Eisner, Glyph, Shel Dorf Award nominated series PRINCELESS, NFL RUSHZONE (based on the Nickelodeon Television series), Jamal Igle's MOLLY DANGER, Artist/ Writer Jeremy Dale’s hit series SKYWARD, and Gale Middleton’s (My Little Pony, The Littlest Pet Shop) monstrously adorable VAMPLETS. Action Lab’s Mature Readers imprint ACTION LAB DANGER ZONE continues to push the envelope of comics entertainment with titles as varied as EHMM THEORY and Dan Mendoza’s over the top horror-comedy ZOMBIE TRAMP, THE FINAL PLAGUE and BO, PLUSHY GANGSTA.