Generation Gone #1 Review
Storytellers: Aleš Kot and André Lima Araújo
Written by Aleš Kot
Art by André Lima Araújo
Colours by
Reviewed by Lorna Maltman (maltmanlorna@gmail.com)
Generation Gone #1 is an oversized 50-page comic and its size allows Kot and Araujo to properly introduce the characters in a way that does not feel cheesy, which many first issues resort to in order to quickly convey the characters’ personalities.
In short, the story is about three young people who gain abilities from reading a code devised by a government scientist. However, there are more layers in this issue, thankfully, and these layers are what make this comic more than the clichéd basic plot. The three kids are Nick, Elena and Baldwin and the main through line of this comic is their lives whilst they try to hack the government and corporations to get rich quick. The hack goes sideways with the code from a government project, project utopia, and this code is thought to give those who read it superhuman abilities, but has the unexpected side effect of making you spew black goo everywhere, which provides panels that make the three protagonists look possessed.
Kot brings great characters to life in Nick and Elena – they are dating, but it is clear that Elena is more invested in the relationship. Elena has a mother with cancer and Kot provides them with a touchingly human and real conversation, when it could have easily been left out. The premise brought by the team is great, but what really shines in Generation Gone is Kot’s dialogue and character interactions. For example, Nick and Elena’s relationship, which is made clear literally from the cover, as the dialogue starts with Nick saying he wished he could just turn Elena off. There are parts where they touch on concepts or explanations which are confusing or dense, but they are small parts in the issue.
Araujo’s art is some of the most expressive art I have seen for a while, as you can tell exactly the inner thoughts of the characters, such as Nick’s indifference or Baldwin’s annoyance. It is a testament to Araujo’s art that a number of pages have no words or little dialogue, but they are some of the most impactful pages.
Verdict:
Buy. Generation Gone has a solid premise, but it is the characters and the layers built up in these 50 pages that makes this well worth your money.
