Written by: Kurtis J. Wiebe
Art by: Johnnie Christmas
Publisher: Image Comics
If your looking for a book that’s ambitious, beautifully drawn, and unpredictable in the best of ways, then Pisces #1 by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Johnnie Christmas is the book for you.
The story begins with Dillon, drunk and covered in gashes, driving up to a hospital in the pouring rain and crashing his car into a parked ambulance. Where did he get those gashes? Why is he driving drunk? Your guess is as good as mine, because the story quickly shifts to the past, to a younger Dillon crash landing in Vietnam.
The scenes depicted in Vietnam are emotionally gripping as Dillon is forced to make very fear-based and human choices. People often say that they would lay down their lives for others around them without a second thought, but when you are in a true life-and-death situation, self preservation takes hold. The book transitions once more, this time into space, although the time spent here is only one page.
These four separate eras are beautifully brought to life by Johnnie Christmas’s frenetic, yet crisp art. Every single page seeps with emotion and works synonymously with Wiebe’s story. All of the characters featured here are breathtaking, and Christmas really gives each person his own distinct look and feel. Also, and possibly most impressive, is how well presented moving liquid are, such as rain and blood. I would recommend Pisces #1 to anyone based solely on the artwork alone, but the fact that the story is on the same level as the art makes this comic something truly special.
Pisces #1 is a book unlike any other on the stands today. It combines gorgeous art and masterful writing into something as ambitious as it is enjoyable. The fact that this opening issue leaves the reader unsure of what they just read but excited for next issue is the exact reason why Pisces #1 is a must read debut.
