Verge #1 Review

Written by: Phillip Kelly and Lars Canty
Art by: Sebastian Kadlecik, David R. Flores, Ashley Lanni Hoye and Lars Canty
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 16, 2014

Identify Yourself

This is something new for Weird Science and Myself.  Regular readers (I know you three are out there somewhere) know that we are a DC Comics blog and strictly review DC Comics.  Well, we were contacted by Identity Comics' Philip Kelly asking if we wanted to review their new comic, Verge #1.  Eric and myself immediately said "Hells Yea" and here we are.  A little disclaimer, first.  I am in no way connected with Identity Comics or anyone associated with the Verge comic.  I am writing this review strictly as a reviewer and lover of comics.

Explain It:

Verge #1 is an anthology title with four stories.  Before the review, here are the descriptions of each from the Identity Comics press release: 

Concrete Shoes, with a story by Lars and Phillip and art by Penguins vs. Possums' fame, Sebastian
Kadlecik, follows a Private Detective in a neo-noir, cyberpunk world who becomes entangled in a
situation involving an ex-mafia hitman, half covered in concrete. This concrete monster has seemingly
come back from the dead to wage war against the most dangerous crime family in the US. Brutality and
violence drive the story that is less about revenge and redemption and more about might makes right.

El Fantasmo, story by Lars and Phillip, with art by David R. Flores from Dead Future King, follows
Mateo, a young boy from a village in Columbia, who sacrifices everything to save a helpless rat from
his plague infected, fanatical villagers. In return he is imbued with mystical abilities that allow him to
live with the disease and become a Lucha Libra fighter for the people, against all forms of corrupt rule.

The Girl Made of Ice, story by Phillip with art by children's book artist Ashley Lanni Hoye, is a
science fiction, horror story about a 13-year-old girl who accidentally releases the most dangerous
sociopaths and war criminals in the Universe from their icy cages on Earth. She must now stop the
havoc, destruction, and death that she is responsible for unleashing.

The Sheet, with story and art by Lars, this is the most eccentric and mind-bending of the bunch. A
living, breathing, cognizant bed sheet (via scientific experiment) is loosed onto the world. Part
superhero satire, part ultra violent crime farce, this is sure to make any reader squeal with joy.

Bits and Pieces:

It's hard to review an anthology title, but I'll give you my basic thought after reading the stories...I like it. Each story is a beginning that I'd like to keep reading.  The writing and art are good, with the standout stories for me being Concrete Shoes and The Sheet.  That's not saying I didn't like the others, because I did.  In fact, after reading the book and the press release, I'm really looking forward to each one.

The one disappointment I had with the book was formatting.  It was hard to tell which story I was reading.  Each story could use a nice little title page that tells the reader which story they are about to read.

Edit: Phillip Kelly has informed me that the digital copy of the book has title pages for each story.


The Verge #1 is my first foray into reading and reviewing an independent comic and I liked it.  The art was good and the writing had an edgier tone than the big two are giving.  I'm interested in seeing where each story goes so count me in for next issue.

8.0/10