Man vs. Rock
Story and Script by: Victor DeTroy & Kevin Bieber
Art by: Jared Lamp
Mankind as we know it is on the brink of destruction, and it is all our fault. The one clearly defined moment in our evolution that set man apart from the rest of the world, was the use of tools, specifically rocks. Take that universally accepted theory of evolution and turn it askew, just so slightly. Not only did we learn how to use rocks to our advantage, we used them for everything and made them work for us as our slaves. Just like all the other living organisms and lower forms of life that we proverbially straightened our backs and stood tall over, rocks too became another item that mankind could look down upon. But no longer will rocks be our tools and surface to stand upon!
With DeTroy & Bieber’s story premise beginning to take solid form (like a rock…), it is the art’s task to really drive home the comic’s overall tone, and it does just that. The black and white panels really show off Lamp’s style of artwork within this comic. The line work and extra
attention to detail comes through very neat and cleanly, making the comic’s style feel natural. Without the use of colors, the finer details come off as the strong foundation for the rest of the story. These two first issues may be strange, but once you accept this skewed universe (one that only a handful of people within the comic realize is destined for destruction) the illustrations fit perfectly. Exaggerated features (facial and physical) seem normal in this Rock suppressed world.
Issues one and two lay the concrete foundation for this war that involves even the smallest stone set in a diamond ring. The main defender fighting for humanity is a college professor that has been trying to tell the world about this pending death by stoning. Rounding out our team set to fight the rock uprising is a rebellious and fully filled out female student and a muscle bound meat head male student. The first pebbles of war have started to fall (not just a metaphor) and the first casualties are starting to roll in. With thousands of years of being used against their will, it is time for rock-kind to rise up and declare dominance, and like it’s predecessor’s you can be sure the continuation of this story will rock!