The Captain has gone missing.  But, we’re not going to talk about that just yet.

That seems to be the theme in the first issue of Cap Stone.  In fact, the titular hero does seem to be missing for every page of this issue.  Instead, we are treated to the secrets of a woman who knew the Captain.  There’s really only one way to experience the book, and that’s through the Madefire app.

This was the first time I had fired up the app, and it’s an engrossing experience.  Like a step between a comic and the animated graphic novels from larger houses, books made for Madefire are a wholly new kind of immersive form.  I read this issue alone and then through the app and found an incredible amount added to the experience.  There’s a mystery to this issue, that’s for sure, but when you open the app, the depth of the story gets you in a way that the book alone can’t.

Other than sound effects and music setting the scene, the biggest thing I noticed was a difference in the pacing.  The step-by-step process lets you soak in more detail as pages are broken down sometimes into single-panel elements, sometimes into strings that move you along more swiftly.  There’s more being presented to you in the app, and some panels involve 3D elements to really put you into the story and work amazingly with the accelerometer in the tablet I used.  One of the most memorable and innovative uses was a page that completely came to life in a movable 3D environment that held secrets in all 360 degrees.

The Madefire format is amazing and only adds to the desire to get to the bottom of the story that’s being presented, which has a very interesting final moment.

The work and imagination put into the Madefire experience is awesome, and you should certainly check it out.

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