Comics Reviews

REVIEW: Obskura #1

Hello, comic book enthusiasts! Today I will be giving you a sneak peek into Attaboy Comics’s science fiction world of OBSKURA. Created, drawn and written by AC Osorio and edited by Angel Feuntes, Obskura #1 sets the stage for interdimensional travel and alien grudges that is sure to take you out of this world.

My first impression of Obskura was that it reminded me of that fateful day many years I picked up a comic that belonged to my older sister, read the first few pages and put it down, never to read it again. And that wasn’t because it wasn’t interesting or I didn’t like it. I was too scared to. Now let me be clear that that wasn’t a bad thing. It was a Batman vs Predator graphic novel and I was barely ten years old, so of course I was terrified. It achieved its goal of being horrific and compelling, and that’s what the first few pages of Obskura reminded me of. So even with so little information, I knew instantly it would be a great read.

obskura1

The story follows a scientist named Travis Tedford who is suddenly sucked up into the highly classified and dangerous world of government intelligence and scientific research. It takes place in a fictional version our planet, complete with real life locations and extraterrestrial beings. The story so far, although heavy on the science explanation, is very interesting and draws you in quickly with a dramatic prologue. I already can’t wait to read the rest, especially given the way the last scene ends. I’ve not read many science fiction comics in the past, and I generally find them slower reads, but the pacing in Obskura is quite varied, so I had no problem whizzing through it.

What I really loved about the artwork was that it had that brutal honesty you get with monochrome comics, especially with themes that have the potential to be very graphic in nature. The last thing I need is a repeat of the above mentioned trauma. But in all seriousness I felt that not rendering the drawings was stylistically the best choice AC Osorio could have made here. His work is already so detailed, so adding colour would have overwhelmed the senses. The only sense of colour you get is from the cover, which is all that’s really needed. It sets the tone of the comic, giving you an idea of what things would really look like, and serves as a really useful guide to the rest of the piece.

obskura3

My favourite aspect of Obskura #1 so far is definitely the way it draws you in and quickly builds tension. That, as well as what the story promises to deliver. It’s more than just a good plot, it’s the level of detail of world-building you can expect. It’s not just the creation of a setting that exists on its own, completely separate to ours, but rather the incorporation of these worlds into a singular one. That’s what excites me most about stories of this nature – how different worlds are blended into ours, and all the possibilities that that opens up.

Obskura 1-3 is available to buy on ComiXology and if you want to know more, check out the website! Be sure to let us know what you think by giving us a shout in the comments or on Twitter!

About the author

Z. B. Hunter

Fresh out of university, Zaibien is hoping to make a splash in the world of literary art. When he's not figuring out new ways to subvert the fantasy genre, he's somewhere between writing his first novel and wishing there was a way to telepathically communicate his ideas onto paper exactly as they are in his head.
Unlike his characters, we can't all have superpowers, so he's just having to settle with reading comics, going to the gym and occasionally pouring his heart out over his laptop.