The Strange Talent of Luther Strode #1

Image has a real knack of hooking you on certain books with their solicitations in the Previews catalog. Probably better than any other company. And maybe they should since so many of their books today are created by newcomers to the industry. It's a hard sell to a public that needs the most for their buck. You know for the most part you're going to be safe buying a book by Brian Michael Bendis or of a character like Spider-Man. But to buy a book by somebody you've probably never heard of about a character (or characters) that is premiering for the first time, you need something to grab you immediately. And that's exactly what the preview for The Strange Talent of Luther Strode did for me. The sheer magnitude of richly colored, over-the-top violence struck me. Now after reading the book, I'm hooked even further. The story might seem like a standard "weak nerd likes a girl, gets buff to beat the bully to get her" tale, but it's so much more. Luther Strode is immediately a guy you like, and you want to see him succeed. You've probably even been in his shoes. As he gains his "talent" though, you're interested in seeing what he's going to do with them. But how did he get them, and who are the mysterious forces behind them? Well see, that's the hook. All of it is drawn and colored in a way that's best described as frenetic. The action literally explodes from the page in a way that's eye-popping. Very bright colors, very action hued. The perfect compliment to the story. Image should have another indy sensation on their hands.