Review – Curb Stomp #1 (of 4) (BOOM! Studios)

February 23, 2015

2–3 minutes

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Author: Ryan Ferrier
Artist: Devaki Neogi
Release Date: 25th February, 2015

Welcome to Old Beach, home turf of “The Fever”. Don’t let their looks fool you, though — if you cross onto their turf, you will regret it. Old Beach is one of three boroughs surrounding the city, each run by their very own gang. Old Beach has “The Fever”, we have “The Wrath” who run guns out of Newport, and finally the “Bayside Five” who run drugs. “The Fever” don’t appear to have specific ‘crime of choice’, but rather seem to protect their borough from whoever and whatever may come to it uninvited.

“The Fever” is made up of five girls all with their own unique style and fitting names; we have Machete Betty, Violet Volt, Daisy Chain, Derby Girl and Bloody Mary. They all seem to have looks that could kill, but could just as easily kill you with other means if they deem it necessary. This first issue introduces each of the members, giving us a little insight into what drives them, as well as introduced to the key players of the two other gangs and providing a glimpse at what they are plotting for our unsuspecting “Fever”.

The writing of this series so far has certainly piqued my interest; you have a story similar to a movie like The Warriors or The Outsiders with a little bit of additional punk rock attitude thrown in. The characters – even though this is only the first in a four-issue run – have enough depth and development that you can’t help but find yourself pulling for “The Fever”. The story is gritty and to the point, and leaves you wondering where the story will take you next.

This being a debut of sorts for Devaki Neogi, it’s surprising how much of a veteran her artwork already makes her out to be. The art is clean and intense, yet not overwhelmingly detailed or overexaggerated. It reminds me of Pia Guerra’s artwork on Y: The Last Man, yet with more grit seeming to grab you by the balls just to make sure you are paying attention. Her artwork takes on a life of its own here, with Neil Lanonde’s use of color helping to suck you right in to the story. I’m definitely expecting Devaki Neogi to quickly become known by many based on her visual storytelling skills and the distinctive style of her work.

For the first installment in a new series which has quite a lot going on, I am most definitely on board! It’s an interesting story that’s not all glitz and glamour. It has balls, and it will also kick you in yours at times. The characters grab your attention, leaving you waiting to see what will happen next. If you are looking for something other than your average spandex clad hero book then you should definitely pick this up and give it a try, it may surprise you.

Rating: 4/5.

INTERIOR ARTWORK
[Click to enlarge]