Clare’s Comics Catalogue – Angelic #1
Welcome back, tomorrow is New Comic Book Day and I have one huge recommendation for you. You’re going to want to pick up Angelic #1, from writer Simon Spurrier with art by Caspar Wijngaard.
I remember being intrigued by the initial press release on this one, especially this bit;
Winged monkeys! Techno-dolphins! Quantum alleycats! In ANGELIC, humanity’s long gone. Its memory lingers only as misunderstood rituals among mankind’s leftovers: the genetically modified animals they used and abused for eons.
But for one young flying monkey, QORA, the routines are unbearable. All she wants is to explore. Instead she’s expected to settle down, to become a mother…to lose her wings.
ANGELIC is a story of teenage rebellion and animal antics amidst the ruins of civilization, promising to be WALL-E by way of Watership Down.
I mean, seriously here, what’s not to love? Winged monkeys and techno-dolphins?! So when the review copy arrived I put off going to sleep and dived in. And I am SO glad I did.
Angelic #1 is a fantastic introduction to a bold new world. Protagonist Qora is a young female, I mean Girlmonk, who chafes against the rules and strictures of her society. She asks questions, which are very much frowned upon. She doesn’t understand why she isn’t allowed to join the ranks of the boymonks defending their roost. Or why they blindly perform the same rituals every day. It’s this curiosity which brings her to the attention of the leader of their civilization, Alfer. After that the course of her life changes pretty fast.
The world is established quickly. It might take you a few pages to get your head around some of the language, but once you get the feel for it it’s pretty seamless. There’s kind of a Clockwork Orange vibe to it which is all kinds of cool. There’s enough set up in this first issue, but also enough left open to make you want to pick up issue 2 as soon as you’re done. I know I did. That final page had me equal parts ooohing and awwwing cos I’ll be damned if I’ve ever seen such a weirdly cute critter.
If you tilt your head and squint just a little, you could be forgiven for thinking there’s a little commentary on race/religion here. That slavish adherence to rituals that have long since lost any significance other than keeping the population in line. Qora bucks that trend, because she wants more from her life.
I’m a big fan of YA fiction, and I have a feeling that Angelic is going to become a favourite very quickly based on this first issue. If you’re like me, and a bit of YA dystopia is your thing then you’re going to want to grab this. It’s also got a great female protagonist who isn’t afraid to question the norm and push against boundaries. If there are any parents out there wanting to find a comic for their teenage daughters, or sons – this is a good choice.
There’s something about Caspar Wijngaard’s art, with that distinctive palette of pinks and blues, that I absolutely adore. It can go from dream-like and muted to in your face in a split second. And it does in Angelic #1. It lends a surreal edge to the comic. For example when Qora is talking to Alfer I found the more muted colours lulled me into a false sense of security before I realised exactly what was going on. Then suddenly it’s like a fog lifts, all the colours pick up and become sharper just as Qora comes to realise that her world isn’t what she thought.
Put simply, buy Angelic #1 when it comes out tomorrow. I’d love to know what you make of it!
