- Writer: Mattson Tomlin
- Illustrator: Lee Bermejo
- Letterer: Becca Carey
- Designers: Michelle Ankley and Marie Krupina
- Editor: Sierra Hahn
Thanks to BOOM! Studios for the review copy!
A Vicious Circle is a time traveling story with a twist – John Thacker is tied to another time traveler, and every time they kill someone they shift to a new time period (which is an interesting take on the time travel genre). The first issue introduces Thacker and teases out the ‘rules’ behind the time traveling. The story starts out a bit slow, but soon escalates to a more frenetic pace. A Vicious Circle sets up an interesting story, and the cover teases dinosaurs, so I’m in.
A Vicious Circle uses an almost photorealistic art style that matches the dark tone of the book. There is an impressive amount of detail from a reflection in Thacker’s glasses to the stubble and wrinkles etched onto an older character’s face. The style also allows the characters to convey an impressive amount of emotion. I really appreciated the subtle differences in the art used for each time period, which managed to feel both distinct and part of a coherent whole. My favorite sequence involved a rapid fire series of jumps, each with their own style. The issue definitely lives up to its name – it is fairly violent and while the blood isn’t over the top, the art doesn’t shy away from showing violence. The amount of blood feels just right for the darker tone of the book, but parental discretion is advised.
A Vicious Circle does a nice job of setting up the story to come, while dropping in the ‘who is the bad guy here?’ question that science fiction stories often employ. John Thacker remains a bit of a mystery though the first issue, so it will be interesting to see if the story pays off on that tease with a big reveal down the road. Fans of time travel stories will want to check out this series.
A Vicious Circle #1 is now out in stores.
Are you going pick up the comic? Feel free to leave a comment below or chat with us on Twitter at @TheConCollectve!
We’re always looking for new writers that are truly passionate about stuff – we give you the review materials, the platform and the support to say what you feel from the heart. If you’d like to write opinion pieces about pop culture topics or reviews, reach out to us using the contact us form.
