Written by: Randy Stradley
Art by: Doug Wheatley
Publisher: Dark Horse
At first, I was puzzled by King Tiger as it seemed like a comic book straight out of the 90s. My assessment turned out to be spot-on as King Tiger is a revival of the same character from Dark Horse’s superhero era. The character never received the standalone treatment, until now of course. King Tiger #1 is a satisfying introduction to a somewhat interesting character (who oddly dresses like Goku).
The story follows all the beats that are expected in an introductory issue; the antagonist is introduced, the hero and his sidekick are established, and there is some exposition. This exposition was minimal, as most first issues tend to spew exposition all over the reader. The flip side to the lack of exposition is that these characters seem to have already been introduced in another series and readers expecting a new series may not exactly get what they are looking for. At the same time, I like how Milo, Tiger, and Rikki feel fleshed out, making the dialogue in the issue seem more natural.
While the narrative may seem interesting to some readers, I found it to be uninspired and banal. That said, I believe there is potential for the narrative to improve. After all, there is nothing wrong with using a tried and tested formula for superhero comics. There were a few scenes that stood out, at least for me. The theme of hope as humanity’s weakness was handled in a very Batman-esque manner.
The artwork, much like the story, seemed quite generic. Doug Wheatley goes for realism as the characters and the environments look photorealistic. At the same time, I loved the coloring. The panels seemed full of life thanks to the Rain Beredo’s exuberant colors. The contrast between Tiger’s bright orange tunic and the various backgrounds was a treat for the eyes.
Overall, King Tiger is an interesting introduction to a new series, however, it is only an introduction by definition. Readers who know these characters should definitely pick up this issue, while other readers do not have a significant reason for doing so, aside from the interesting theme and the amazing colors.
