A review by bklassen
The Mercenary Sea, Vol. 1: Top Hat, White Lies, and Tales by Kel Symons
3.0
I’m not sure what this says about this first volume, but the majority of this rating comes from artwork, but the drawing style is so gorgeous that I couldn’t help it. Don’t get me wrong, the story is fun, too. Like Mal Reynolds from Firefly or Indiana Jones mixed with James Bond as the captain of this ragtag group of military or smuggling misfits pick up odd jobs, act like criminals, but deep down have a heart of gold and always do the right thing. It’s basically Firefly in the South Pacific. It’s a fun, rollicking adventure, but don’t expect any substance.
The art, though. Oh my God, it’s so pretty. It’s drawn in the style of Archer (and it does share some similarities with Archer, but really only in the sense of gun fights and a reckless protagonist who’s good with a gun), but without the thick black outlines. The colors, the style, the backgrounds… the aesthetic is just so pretty. Form over function in this case, and not that it’s a bad thing, I just don’t think this graphic novel/comic series will stand the test of time.
The art, though. Oh my God, it’s so pretty. It’s drawn in the style of Archer (and it does share some similarities with Archer, but really only in the sense of gun fights and a reckless protagonist who’s good with a gun), but without the thick black outlines. The colors, the style, the backgrounds… the aesthetic is just so pretty. Form over function in this case, and not that it’s a bad thing, I just don’t think this graphic novel/comic series will stand the test of time.