We open with a brief interlude between our hero, Anth (That Bulletproof Kid himself), and his mother. After reading an article in the local paper, she voices her opinion that she believes that teenagers should not be allowed to be superheroes by the Tribunal (apparently an over-watch group that regulates supes). Little does she know that the teenage superhero in the post she is complaining about is her son. We then flashback 30 years, and witness the superhero Mr. Tremendous break out his brother, Dr. Formidable, from the Tribunal's holding center. Not everything is as it seems, however. Mr. Tremendous actually wants to take his brother back to their home planet to answer for his crimes. Dr. F is not too keen on this idea...
Back in the present, Anth is starting his first day of year 11 at school. Things are a bit complicated, in that his friends have noticed his numerous absences throughout break, and Anth is having trouble coming up with suitable explanations. He can't very well tell them that he was running around in a mask and fighting crime, now can he? The sequences where he is fighting crime is covered in a brief flashback. Add a bully to the list, and Anth's day just keeps going downhill... until the story kicks it up a notch, and the action starts to flow...
That Bulletproof Kid is a top notch indie comic release. Matt's writing chops are just as impressive as his artistic talent (Yes, he's an artist as well. Lucky devil.). He accomplishes what every writer of an ongoing series should aspire to; namely, showing you enough of the different plot elements to get you interested, but not giving you all the answers at once. That way they can be slowly built upon in upcoming issues, and the reader, basically, has to keep reading to discover just where the story is going. I'm impressed by how restrained and nuanced this is, especially for the superhero genre. Very nice.
Arthur's artistic style is bold, colorful, and assured. His renderings are quite believable in nature, and between his art, and Matt's writing, you come away with the feeling that you are dealing with everyday teenage students (except for the fact that won is a superhero, of course). His style is unique, and I was really having a rum go trying to figure out a comparison (there is something familiar about the art, not a heavy influence, but just a light touch around the edges of the character compositions). I finally hit upon it, and it's probably just me, as I said the similarities are very minor. If you take away the color, and add a bit more darkness, the art reminds me (slightly) of the much missed Barry Blair, whose independent press Aircel Comics was much loved by myself. That's all I got. Like I said, Arthur's style is unique to himself, and very much appreciated.
Well, here's where I tell you to read That Bulletproof Kid... Read it, dang it! You'll make myself, Matt, Arthur, and all involved happy if you do. Plus, and more importantly, you'll be picking up a really good adventure, and getting a lot of enjoyment out of it, if you do. A really rocking first issue, and here's hoping for many more. There are some links at the bottom of the page which I'm sure Matt and Co. would love you to take a look at. As for me? Back to reading, as usual... Bye, all, and happy reading!
You can get your hands on this book here, and here's the official Bulletproof Kid website.
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