Basilisk #1
BOOM! Studios
Written by: Cullen Bunn
Art by: Jonas Scharf
Colors by: Alex Guimaraes
Letters by: Ed Dukeshire
Cullen Bunn is churning out quality indie comics like it’s nothing of late, but he displayed his new project with BOOM! Studios may be a cut above the rest with Basilisk #1.
Funnily enough, the greatest strength of Bunn’s series-opening issue is the use of silent panels. Each one helps the story maintain the ominous tone established in the first few pages. Also, what’s said in the surrounding panels become much more significant.
Allowing Jonas Scharf and Alex Guimaraes’ artwork to speak for itself frequently throughout Basilisk #1 helps both answer and raise questions. Ultimately, the latter are what will bring us back: the questions we care about — because we need answers.
And it’s easy to get invested in the questions raised in Basilisk #1 because Bunn introduced several characters who found a way to leave a lasting impression rather quickly. We may only know Regan and Hannah by name, but their names are far from the first things readers will remember from this issue. All the questions start with the first three pages.
Another nice touch with Basilisk #1: Scharf tells us a little about some of the characters with the main cover. But you won’t know exactly what to look for until you read Basilisk #1.
In a week that features quite a few appealing first issues, Basilisk #1 has earned a spot among the new comics readers need to give a shot.
Score: 9.5
Interested in more from Cullen Bunn? Go check out his latest interview on Geeks WorldWide Radio‘s TLDR podcast, where Joseph Gilmore and Nick Friar discuss comics weekly and talk to creators from the industry — available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts and Spotify!