Review – Chances Are #1 from Matt Garvey and David Cousens, now funding on Kickstarter

Posted on August 3, 2022 in Kickstarters, Small Press Reviews

Writer: Matt Garvey
Artist: David Cousens
Colours: Rob Cloma
Lettering: J Francis Totti
Currently funding on Kickstarter until 2nd September 2022 (CLICK HERE)

Bruce Gray is LUCKY. Not just lucky, or even Lucky with a capital L, he is the kind of lucky that requires all-caps, and probably a lot of exclamation marks after it. And, as all “lucky” people seem to do, Bruce pushes that luck and enters an insanely high-stakes poker game. When he inevitably wins and faces the wrath of Casino owner and apparent bad guy Edward Royale, his offer to repay the money falls on deaf ears, and he instead finds himself competing in a series of literal life or death games for the amusement of Royale’s rich clients.

I’ve made no secret about how much I enjoy Matt Garvey’s writing, and have been absolutely devouring his books whenever I can grab them. I was lucky enough to get a copy of Matt Garvey’s latest project in my inbox this week, and I can honestly say I loved every page from first to last. And likewise, from start to finish, Chances Are! is funny, packed with action, is fast paced, has some real “oh shit!” moments, and leaves you desperate to read the next issue.

I really like Bruce Gray, he’s a lot of fun and the 4th wall breaks have a great irreverent sense of humour behind them. There’s also a depth to his character that becomes apparent later in the issue, which makes you genuinely feel for him.

The pacing is brilliant, so long as you like 0-100mph insanity; there are a couple of places to catch your breath, but mostly it’s pedal to the metal from page one. Despite the breakneck speed there is also plenty of time for character and plot development, and by the end of the issue you’ve got a really good grasp of who is who and what their motivations are, along with a very satisfying introduction to Bruce’s story and the insane trap he’s caught up in.

The artwork is also fantastic. It’s loud, brash, and over the top, and everything feels like a late ’80s Paul Verhoeven movie. It’s just glorious, and from page one onwards David Cousens delivers some beautifully explosive scenes of carnage that, if you’re anything like me, will leave you cheering and grinning from ear to ear.

As first issues go, I’m not sure you could ask for more. It’s a funny, action-packed, thrill ride that can only go from strength to strength, and I already can’t wait for the next issue.

Rating: 4.5/5.

[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]