Born into the family business, that’s how some describe their occupations. “My father’s, father’s, father . . . ,” so on and so on. Pride can be taken from keeping up the family business. To be so proud that it encourages foolhardiness is a chance one takes with such pride. Many celebrities are driven to such pride and status that they let little things about them out that they wished they hadn’t. Those little things snowball until they feel it’s their (lucrative) responsibility to let the world know what it’s like to step into their lives and see exactly what it’s like to be with them. Even if others really with them would like to be kept out of the spotlight. Sometimes, that gives those who would do harm just the edge they need to take the prideful down.
Goners, a new book published by Image Comics, is described by the publishers as such. “Writer Jacob Semahn (Marvel Universe Ultimate Spider-Man) and artist Jorge Corona (Teen Titans Go!) team up for Goners, a bold, new historical fantasy mystery about a very peculiar family, the Latimer Family, who have been humanity’s lone defense against paranormal assault throughout history, due from Image Comics on October 22.”
“From the colonization of Roanoke to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Latimer Family throughout the centuries have been the famous first line of defense against all that goes bump in the night. The modern-day progenitor, Raleigh Latimer and his wife Evelyn Latimer have turned the family tradition into a profitable brand. Selling life rights and starring in their own reality show, the Latimers have found a way to fund their endeavors against those that would try to overthrow humanity. But, on a routine case, Raleigh and Evelyn are murdered on live television, while their children, Josiah and Zoe, are left helpless to watch. With a widening power vacuum, devils and opportunists alike hunt the ill-prepared child detectives for a sound byte or simply . . . a chomp.”
Comparisons can be drawn to many different stories from the past: gang of meddling kids with various incarnations of Scoobies; a Bureau that researches and investigates the paranormal; a number of different tales. But, the tale of the Latimer children is one not just of “with great power, comes great responsibility,” but also one of “everyone knows who you are.” It’s hard to get along with what needs done when anonymity is a luxury no longer affordable.
The art style of Jorge Corona in this book is a little off putting, but in a good way. Combining a Disney-esque/anime style of innocence, it makes for intriguing balance when the more violent and ambitious scenes take off. Imagine if one of the Heartless from Kingdom Hearts tore a hole through a sternum, something along those lines.
My concern is that this doesn’t become a parody of itself. This could easily take off in a direction that people slough off with a “been there, done that” attitude. It holds the potential to become something more. At first, I was apprehensive about the show Once Upon a Time, having knowledge of all the tales combined to make it. Now, it’s one of my favorites, because it took some key ingredients and knocked them on their ass. Here’s hoping Goners does the same.
Goners drops on October 22nd. Check it out and let us here at Fanboy Comics know what you think. We’re interested in what our readers think and want to know how you dig the book.
You can thank me later . . .
