“Point of Impact” is a four-part miniseries that is as much a crime drama as it is a study of the human condition. The first issue begins with the death of a woman.
A couple sits tentatively waiting for that goodnight kiss, when suddenly a body strikes the roof of their car, crunching the roof and the body in unison. The following page is a full page spread of the woman’s body lying atop the destroyed car, and the two passengers standing on either side taking in the horror. All of this is depicted in a scant five panels on the first two pages. It is a startling beginning, but it sets the tone of the series immediately.
The rest of the issue unfolds by introducing the key players--all the individuals tied to the woman...and perhaps her death. Her husband, her paramour, and her cop friend (who is investigating her murder).
The lead-up is fairly simple; it could be the pilot episode to any new cop drama on television, but what makes it unique is its execution. Writer, Jay Faerber, solidly composes the first issue by depicting the event (the murder) and then ties the main characters to that event. The transition between narratives is fluid and does not lead to any confusion, which is difficult to pull off when writing an ensemble. Ensembles are always the sought after choice when writing practically anything, but to properly weight each character accordingly and create audience interest in each character is a valuable and acquired skill. Faerber pulls it off masterfully.
However, like any comic book...there is always another side to the coin. The writing is superb, but what really rounds out the issue and pushes it to ’11’ is Koray Kuranel’s artwork. As the artist for the book as well as the cover, Koray creates tension and drama by removing the color and focusing on the stark contrast of a black and white world, that as written by Jay Faerber is metaphorically filled with gray. It creates a beautiful noir atmosphere that naturally fits the crime drama genre.
Charles Pritchett is the letterist for “Point of Impact,” and personally his artistic touches to the series do not detract or add in any significant capacity. Maybe that is the mark of a great letterist? Like in poetry the rhyme should be hidden, but present--just never overtly. Regardless of the intention, or the mark of a great letterist, the print is present, but never distracting or flamboyant.
All-in-all, this is a great indie title that I think will unfortunately be missed if not plugged more. Image Comics is producing some amazing titles. It isn’t all about “The Walking Dead”--their entire lineup is topnotch, and in quality compares and perhaps exceeds what DC andMarvel are producing. Image Comics has that small publisher feel, but with the potential to reach out to their readers like the large publishers can.
Pickup all of your Image Comic goodies at your local comic book store. If you support local, you support your city as well as its people.
(SOURCE: Indie spotlight: Point of Impact #1)
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