Somebody’s First Comic Book: Common Grounds #2

Wondering what Somebody’s First Comic Book is all about? The explanation is on this page!

TITLE: Roles

CREDITS:
Writer: Troy Hickman
Penciller: Ethan Van Sciver
Inks: Jon Holdredge, Roland Paris & Norm Rapmund
Colors: Brian Buccellato
Letters: Robin Spehar, Mark Roslan & Dennis Heisler
Cover: Rodolfo Migliari
Publisher: Image Comics/Top Cow

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: Never heard of it before. According to the blurb on the inside cover, it sounds like it’s about a coffee shop where superheroes and supervillains can grab a cup of joe and a donut under a sort of truce where they promise not to fight. Clever concept…

IMPRESSIONS: Two stories in this comic book. The first one is “Roles,” in which we see a young woman  — Jenny — who works at Common Grounds getting off work, only to run afoul of a nasty customer with a knife. This is a really clever story – knowing the reputation this “Common Grounds” place must have gives our heroine an unusual way to get out of her predicament. The artwork is very good too. Jenny is a would-be actress, and the artist really manages to get it across on her face when she shifts into playing a role. The story is very good, but I don’t think it would have worked without a very good artist selling a bit of insanity on Jenny’s face when she needed it.

Let’s check out story #2…

TITLE: Elsewhere

CREDITS:
Writer: Troy Hickman
Penciller: Dan Jurgens
Inks: Al Vey
Colors: Guy Major

IMPRESSIONS: “Elsewhere” is a sad little story about a sidekick, the Analog Kid, seeking his lost mentor, Digital Man. The Kid has built a device that traces Digital Man’s last whereabouts to a Common Grounds location, but nobody there has seen him. Meanwhile, we cut over to Digital Man himself, who is trapped on some horrific alien planet with no means of escape. The story packs a very nice emotional punch. It’s essentially about a father and son, separated, but refusing to give up on each other. Troy Hickman manages to mix up these emotional moments with a really great Twilight Zone-style twist at the end that elevates this way beyond the already-strong story that it was.

Amazing comic book – two short stories that are wholly captured in one comic. I loved it.

GRADE: A