Welcome to Old Ebb, the rougher side of the proverbial train tracks, and the setting for writer D.J. Kirkbride’s new comic book series, Errand Boys. Scheduled to drop on October 3, this five-issue science fiction comedy is a forthcoming title from Image Comics.
Kirkbride, who entertained readers with the multi-volume Amelia Cole series and The Once and Future Queen comic book, creates quirky and likeable characters that readers can quickly identify with and care about. In the first issue of Errand Boys, readers are introduced to Jace Lopaz, a resourceful errand boy running on the wrong side of the law. While rethinking his career opportunities, the audience meets Max, Jace’s unofficial girlfriend. Bear is Jace’s boss and owner of Bearrands Inc. He’s a big, cigar-smoking alien who doles out assignments and is looking for fresh talent. Rounding out the main cast of characters is Tawnk, Jace’s ward and teenage half-brother. From the first page in which readers are introduced to Jace, running for his life from pissed-off aliens, to the backup story revealing the early days of Jace and Max’s budding (and complicated) relationship, the characters are memorable. Kirkbride dovetails them into their environment with finesse, and he creates an intriguing world that sweeps the reader right up into the narrative.
Nikos Koutis (Savage Dragon, Mighty Man) hits the ground running with his visuals, matching the pace Kirkbride sets with his story. Koutsis, who is pulling double duty as illustrator and colorist on Errand Boys, hits readers’ eyeballs with bursts of color on every page. The visual experience is reminiscent of the cityscapes featured in the films The Fifth Element (1997, Luc Besson) and Blade Runner (1982, Ridley Scott). The energy that Koutsis creates is magnetic and captivating. While he is bold in his use of space and panel composition, Koutsis balances with a deft sensitivity in his line work, textures, and color choices. Exquisite! Letterer Frank Cvetkovic delivers clean and centered letters in the dialogue bubbles and voice-over boxes, as well as strategically placing SFX text that calls out sounds without overpowering the rest of the elements in the panel. The regular (Koutsis and Mike Toris) and variant (Erik Larsen and Koutsis) covers capture the opening sequence from different perspectives; fans might just have to buy both!
Errand Boys is an entertaining, galactic story that will be sure to please science fiction fans. Kirkbride has set up a number of intriguing sub-stories in which he will be able to explore the relationships between his central characters – Jace, Max, and Tawnk. The narrative is matched by Koutsis’ dynamic, eye-catching visuals. This title should be on comic book readers’ pull list. Pre-order your copy by September 10th (the Final Order Cutoff date for pre-orders) at your local comic book shop, so that you do not miss out on Errand Boys!
Creative Team: D.J. Kirkbride (writer); Nikos Koutsis (artist/colorist); Mike Toris (flatter); Frank Cvetkovic (letterer/designer); Adam P. Knave and El Anderson (editors); D.J. Kirkbride, Manos Lagouvardos, and Frank Cvetkovic (creators); Nikos Koutsis and Mike Toris (cover artists); Erik Larsen and Nikos Koutsis (variant cover artists); Erik Larsen (creative consultant)
Publisher: Image Comics
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