Stop it. Just stop right there. You’re already doing it. You’re judging this book by its title and trust me when I tell you… you really shouldn’t. I know that’s hard to do and it’s taken me years of reviewing basically everything under the sun to get to the point that I will just pick up and read anything without a care in the world about the title or cover. It is the contents inside that matter and that is what I will be reviewing today with Prolife. This book is a swerve. It’s a story that’s told for the ending and I will not be spoiling that for you, but that is the reason to read this book. For the ending. Because everything else about it feels generic and simple. It’s a man recapping a moment in time very poetically (not literally). He’s had a best friend since he was a kid and it’s pretty damn clear that he’s always had feelings for her, even if they never admitted it out loud. She becomes pregnant and asks for his help in dealing with the pregnancy. That’s all I can tell you because again… it’s all about the ending.
Which you won’t really see coming. I mean, there’s hints, but because it seems so generic and simple that your inclined to write it off. But then it swerves so hard that it’s like getting tapped on the shoulder only to turn around and be DDT’d through a table. Then you stand up and it gives you a stunner followed by a super kick and you don’t know what’s happening to you, but you love every minute of it.
The actually production of the comic is where it falters. There’s no panels per say, but rather pieces of art compiled like a scrapbook almost. It works for the most part since there’s no dialogue and only narration. It just leaves a lot of room for narration and strange things like ripped pages when it really would have been better to be just pictures in an album. That would have made the story ten times stronger and more cohesive. The actual line work is good, but looks unfinished. Karen, our leading lady is the only character with dark pencil work, while everyone else is lightly penciled. There’s some ink work later, but it’s strange that just Karen is darkened throughout. Especially since our narrator Mark is in just about every scene with her. I’m all for a comic being in just pencils when it’s as detailed as it is here, but it does need to be consistently even throughout and it’s not here. That is the only stumble of the one-shot.
Otherwise, this actually a hell of a comic book and I give it kudos on the title. That’s just good marketing because think of how many people are going to judge it and pick it up and then read it and be like, “what the hell just happened? What’s going on? Why am I receiving a super kick after going through a table and..." etc, etc. I encourage you to read this comic because even with me telling you it’s coming; you’re still going to be blindsided by the story aka DDP.
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Prolife Writer: Mike Eshelman Artist: Brian Heddleson Publisher: Duskbunnies Comics Price: $1.00 Format: One-Shot; Digital
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