Review - Ravage #1


"Sorry, I don't deal anymore."

Criminals have a tendency to do things that are largely selfish. There is some regard for others around them, but it's generally extended as far as those around them can offer them something they need. That theory is put to the test in Ravage #1. The issue is written by Damian S. Simankowicz, illustrated by Greg Woronchak, colored by Mike Stefan and lettered by Primal Arhcetype.

Ravage is an urban horror, about a young drug dealer who has twenty-four hours to infiltrate his own gang and find the identity of a masked serial killer, before federal police arrest him for a crime he may have unwittingly supplied weapons for.

The premise behind Simankowicz is actually pretty interesting, but getting to it feels a little rushed at times. There's essentially a group of young adults who operate as a gang and Simankowicz sort of crashes through the group dynamic by offering a few different situations for them to interact with one another. Once a lot of that introducing is taken care of, the main story starts to take shape and the narrative follows Alex, a former drug-dealer. Simankowicz relies on him to be the focal point for the reader as he's pulling on threads to get to the bottom of a newly arrived serial killer. The dialogue is pretty standard yet effective in giving the reader enough information to know what's going on and keep up.

The artwork by Woronchak is pretty minimal. Each of the characters are illustrated in a way that ensures there's no confusion as to who's who in the story, although there are some strange poses exhibited by them that feel a little unnatural at times. The settings are somewhat sparsely illustrated in a way that makes everything feel distant, but there's still enough detail by Woronchak where the reader can pretty easily discern where things are happening. The panels are laid out in a standard grid format and allows for the reader to relatively easily follow along. Stefan's colors are pretty basic and largely primary, but they do offer another layer of depth to the artwork.

Ravage #1 is a interesting concept in that it sort of subverts the notion of good and bad. There's no honor amongst thieves and that theory is put to the test in the issue. The script by Simankowicz has a broader plan in mind and works itself well to get to the larger goal. Woronchak's artwork is a good fit for the story and is pretty simple in its presentation. Ravage #1 is a somewhat new take on a familiar concept and will offer a tale of things that likely get crazier than they get better.

Ravage #1 is available now.

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