The Eastern Edge

INCARNATE Issue # 3 (3 of 3)

Synopsis:
From Nick Simmons, son of rock legend Gene Simmons and star of A&E’s GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS, comes a revolutionary new take on the undead.

They cannot die. They feel no pain. They hunger for human flesh. They are Revenants. Centuries ago, the Revenant known as Mot was worshipped as a God. Now, he walks the Earth in search of a purpose to his immortality – but when a secret society discovers a way to kill Revenants, Mot and his fellow immortals must make a choice: Hunt or be hunted. Nick Simmons’ breakout American Manga title reveals a world that challenges even the imagination, planting its tongue firmly in cheek, then biting it off...And swallowing it.

Issue #3 - On sale Dec.9th

Mot is down for the count, with Ripley and his followers moving in. Sibyl is helpless. With eyes full of dark intent, Ripley utters the words, "Break his bones, and take him with us. Do what you want with the girl." Meanwhile, Connor isn't doing much better against Dorian, the grotesque, chimeric Revenant with a cannibalistic hunger. With Connor lacking the ability to transform his body, how will he manage to defeat, or even get close to the multi-limbed monstrosity that is Dorian? Will Ripley manage to convert Mot to his cause, or will his followers convince him to kill Mot at long last? And what of the mysterious masked Grynn, whose careful words orchestrated this chaos in the first place?

Creator: Nick Simmons
Writer : Nick Simmons
Penciller : Nick Simmons
Cover Art : Jo Chen
Inker: Matt Dalton
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Assistant Artists: Nam Kim, Ben Harvey, Shi Hua Wong of STUDIO IL
Letterer : Rob Steen

60-Pages, Full Color

"Incarnate" series url @ Radical Comics

Eastern Edge review:
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I was expecting Incarnate to be an Underworld-type, dark, brooding, more gothic-style comic. But only a few pages into issue number one I realized that what I was getting is something a little more interesting than that.

Truth be told, just reading the synopsis of this title might make you pass it over because it sounds familiar. However it's got a more diverse set of influences than you may think, especially in the art, and they all come together surprisingly well.

The Japanese comic influence in the art (Deathnote in particular) is obvious, but some parts also reminded me of One Piece and other things so I wasn't sure how seriously to take the story. It turns out that's a good thing because, while the story premise is fairly dark, serious, and sometimes gruesome, it may have ended up seeming like a hodgepodge of a number of other things that are all too familiar if it wasn't for the feel of the main character. Mot is not what I had expected at all and as I read through the story, the cartoony, playful art style, which seemed like a mismatch for the story at first, began to make more and more sense. The brighter, more washed out, colours also made this story feel a little lighter, even in the gruesome bits. The "manga influenced" signature exaggerated expressions and over the top action also serves to brighten up the feel. The action sequences in particular are very Japanese influenced in their panel layout and style, where background art is dropped for emphasis on the action with lots of negative space and speed lines. I had expected a slightly slower paced, darker, heavier feel with dense artwork and colours, so the simplicity and energy is refreshing.

The main character, Mot, is what carries the story in Incarnate, and creator Nick Simmons, who is only 20 years old himself, has done a good job of portraying youthful attitude that is authentic but not shallow, which gives the character appeal.

There are lots of people getting bitten, sliced up and shot in the face, but the light, cartoony art and ample, but very stylized blood, keep it Kill Bill-ish fun instead of gruesome like it could have been. It's closer to Saturday morning cartoons than horror than I expected which, again, is a nice change from so many dark, adult comics out there. Incarnate is definitely for adults, though, even though it may seem a little familiar to older fans of this type of story. However, what the series may lack in maturity, it definitely makes up for in youthful energy and fun.

I enjoyed this series and look forward to seeing what Nick Simmons will come up with next.

Review copies of “Incarnate” provided courtesy of Radical Publishing.