- Writer: Eric Lambson
- Artists: Gabriel Caitanos, Silvio D.B., Chris Maiurro, Elias Martins, Scott Brian Woods
- Colorist: Cabral, Eva De La Cruz, Ilaria Fella, Damian Penalba, Maria Santolalla
- Letterer: Marco Della Verde
- Cover Artists: Niko Walter (wrap-around cover), Eric Lambson (interior story covers)
- Pin up Artist: Rob Retiano
- Editor: Andy Schmidt (ABOVE THE STAIRS)
Thanks to Eric Lambson for the review copy!
VANISHING POINTS is a comic anthology with a science fiction bend. While loosely related by theme, each of the stories stands completely on its own. Writer Eric Lambson packs a lot into these mini tales, which typically span only five pages. There’s a challenge involved in short story writing, because the story has to develop a world and get you to invest in characters in a short period of time. As is the case with most anthologies, I liked some stories more than others, but the best of them nail this. Most of the stories have a neat twist or a lesson at the end, giving it a Twilight Zone feel. My favorite story reminded me of the classic story, The Gift of the Magi, while my second favorite is a poignant look at loss and kindness.
Unlike many anthologies, the art remains consistent throughout the book, though the subject changes – from space opera to sword and sorcerer tales to stories grounded on Earth. This adds coherence to an anthology that has no recurring characters or locations. One of my favorite small details is the page transitioning into and out of each story, which contains an element of the story in a wallpaper like pattern. I found myself trying to anticipate what the story was about when I first saw each page, and then reflecting on how it related to the story when it popped up again afterwards.
Clocking in at 76 pages of comics (plus an afterword), there is a lot of material packed into one volume. There is a little violence, though none of it is particularly gruesome, and some mild cursing. This is counterbalanced by the fact that there is a goodness to most of the characters and a lesson to look at things from other people’s perspective that younger readers can learn from. Fans of shows like AMAZING STORIES and THE TWILIGHT ZONE will like VANISHING POINTS.
VANISHING POINTS is scheduled to be released in August. It currently is being funded via Kickstarter.
Are you going to pick up the title? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!
