The Theater #1
Title: The Change
Created & Written by Raven Gregory
Pencils by Martin Montiel and Novo Malgapo
Colors by Michael Garcia
Review by Steve Seigh
The Theater is a brand new comic book series published by the good and disturbed people of Zenescope. In this issue we find ourselves following a feisty “opposites attract” kind of couple, as they take their date night into an all but empty movie theater. What unfolds on screen before them is an emotional tale between father and son as they survive the aftermath of a global zombie epidemic. With only a single issue and some truly gritty art design I found myself completely invested in what was happening to these two characters. Perhaps we’ve seen these types of situations before in more popular books like The Walking Dead, but when done correctly, these scenarios make for some of the best comic reading around.
The Theater seems to be one of those series that perhaps each issue will be the viewing of a different film, a sort of comic-within-a-comic kind of thing. Though, judging by the final pages I wouldn’t be surprised if there is an overarching plot lurking somewhere within the theater itself. I really enjoyed the writing of this first book. It’s clear that Raven Gregory knows how to craft his characters quickly and distinctly. Within the book I’d found that all of the characters had their own personalities and quirks, lending heavily to my caring about their fate. Michael Garcia’s colors really pop for both the film portion of the comic as well as the theater reality sequences. With pencils by Martin Montiel and Novo Malgapo this comic is just as detailed as many of Zenescope’s other books, a style that I particularly enjoy a great deal. I’m really excited for the next issue and can’t wait to see what else The Theater has planned for its patrons.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Considering this is a new series for Zenescope I’m confident in saying that you can go in with no clue at all as to what to expect.
VERDICT
Buy it – I’m a huge fan of Zenescope and this book is no exception. They present their art and stories in a very hardcore manor but somehow still remain a very playful company. The Theater has the potential to become something really cool and almost has a Tales From the Crypt kind of vibe to it, and to me that has potential written all over it.
