Review - Trish Out of Water #1

"I can't believe this is all happening to me..."

Trish Out of Water #1 from Aspen Comics is a new series keeping up with their tenth anniversary as a publisher. While it's a slight departure from some of their more magical and superhuman stories, it's still a tale that could be very fascinating as it unfolds.

The issue is written by Vince Hernandez, illustrated by Giuseppe Cafaro, colored by Ruben Curto and Studio Paralpa and lettered by Josh Reed.

Trish is your typical high school student. She's got parents who bicker but love her, friends at school and pretty steady thing with Steven. She's also become sick as of late, suffering what she thinks are hallucinations. Turns out, there's a lot more to her life than she previously thought, including secrets about her parents and herself as well. Those secrets are being set up to be truly devastating for Trish, setting her up to lose control just a tad.

Hernandez knows a thing or two about women powered by water, as he handles most of the writing duties for Fathom lead Aspen Matthews. He counts on that knowledge in Trish Out of Water, infusing that world into the new one he's creating here. Blue are mentioned in passing by some of Trish's friends and it appears that this comic is set in that world to an extent. Trish is very believable as a lead character, going through all the typical things that a high school student goes through. Hernandez keeps the pace brisk as the reader is introduced to Trish, counting on the reader's experience in high school to fill in the gaps so to speak. It works very well and offers a tight narrative to follow.

Cafaro's art is very strong as well, with a sketch-like quality to it. Characters are illustrated with bold lines that really stand out against the scenery behind them. The art isn't completely fleshed out, but the style works for the story Hernandez is pitching. The transformation effects are pretty well done too, offering something of a supernatural feel to the story. This is something of an origin story of sorts and Cafaro does a great job in presenting that in a convincing fashion.

Trish Out of Water #1 is a tightly-knit first issue that really offers some intriguing premises down the road. Trish is very likable as the lead and definitely has something she's tapping into. The first issue is very evenly paced and doesn't hurry to the payoff at the end; rather, it takes its time and enjoys the ride. It's definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of Aspen's works and it offers something to other readers as well who might not be as familiar with that world. The ending of the first issue is very suspenseful and proves Trish could be someone special.

Trish Out of Water #1 is in stores October 16 with interiors below.