We picked up issue number one. The story revolves around a young woman named Grace who, the creators told me, dies on page three of the first issue. But before she moves on to whatever awaits in the afterlife, she is greeted by a heavenly entity named Azrael who offers her… a position. She can resume her life if she takes on the job of Soul Deliverer. Azrael explains that certain individuals have chosen a path in their lives that moves them beyond redemption. And their continued existence upsets the balance of the world. It is Grace’s job to dispatch—kill—them so as to send them to their final judgement.
There are echoes of Garth Ennis’ Preacher here. And hints of a larger story arc including the mystery of who killed Grace in those first few pages and if she’ll get the opportunity to dispatch them. There’s also fertile ground to explore the juxtaposition of the name Grace with a job that seemingly offers none to souls who we are told are beyond redemption. Although victims, both previous and potential, of those deemed irredeemable might find their end a form of grace. It’s deep stuff for a comic that also asks what a normal person would do in a situation where they find themselves possessing a sort of superpower.
Gothic Geisha is written and drawn by Sandra Chang-Adair, a Las Vegas resident, artist, and black belt. You can view and order her series, along with other original artwork at gothicgeisha.com. Currently on issue six, we took a look at the first issue.
A slow burn, the first issue takes it’s time introducing its characters. Here we meet Audrey Matano, a menial worker in a future dystopia who has dreams about fighting heavily armed soldiers, but who can barely navigate the strict, bureaucratic system that keeps her heavily medicated. We are also introduced to Kenji Hendrix, a construction worker who has both amazing physical strength and dexterity, as well as intelligence and charisma along with a real sense of humility. And yet, even with all these gifts, he is unable to prevent a workplace accident due to the same bureaucratic system that keeps Audrey in a fugue state.
From the first issue, it is not clear how these characters will interact, or who else will be introduced. But it is clear there is a larger story in mind. Chang-Adair noted Dune and other science fiction stories among her influences for the story. It’s beautifully drawn and presented in black and white along with gorgeous, full-color covers.
The Resistants is an action-packed, high energy, and excellently designed book by Big Blue Comics. I was able to speak with writer and co-creator Kyle Kaminski, who has a clear passion for his work and comics in general. Having previously owned and operated a comic store in Michigan, he now lives in Southern California where he works on creating this series.
The opening sequence in issue one of The Resistants is so well executed from both writing and art perspectives, I was immediately drawn in. We see some talking heads discussing some political and corporate intrigue on a big screen, noting breaking news of the so-called terrorist organization, The Resistants causing trouble. As they continue to discuss the breaking situation, one of the members of The Resistants crashes into the screen. From there, the action barely stops. Despite it essentially being an extended action sequence throughout the issue, it manages to fill the reader in with both enough context and backstory to become immediately engaging. Art by Jason Johnson and coloring by Ross A. Campbell match writer Kaminski’s story beat-for-beat, collectively creating a rich, thrilling opening to this story.
The comic features character bios and pin-up pages, as well as previews for both the following issue and a spin-off series Hyper-Action, indicating an immense world to explore. The influences are a mix of the X-Men, GI Joe, and mainstream 80s and 90s comics, so it feels very familiar while managing to be an original take on many of those elements. The quick pace of issue one seems indicative of the series as a whole, as Kaminski informed me the story arc wraps up in three issues. But there is clearly a lot more to tell in the world of The Resistants.
