Comics Features Reviews

REVIEW: Operation: Boom #1 Wins with Diverse Characters

Hello, all! I’m here today to bring you another review of an exciting indie comic. This time, I will be reviewing issue 1 of Operation: Boom, written and illustrated by Chris Imber, coloured by Chris Jenkins and published by Reckless Hero. You may remember Jenkins and Imber from the last comic I covered The Last Sheriff, which you can have a look at here.

Operation Boom follows a group of misfit mercenaries that are contracted by the military to retrieve a top secret device that was stolen from them. Pretty standard stuff, right? Wrong. Not only can this device render the world’s military forces defenceless, but it could plunge the entire globe in an un-winnable war. To make matters more interesting, the man responsible for the robbery has a very personal connection to the force about to oppose him.

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Now the first issue doesn’t really get into the action straight away. A lot of it is exposition and character backstory to provide the necessary context for the rest of the comics. Not to say it isn’t interesting, it just starts off a little slow. Don’t worry, the pace quickens by the end, and it finishes on quite the cliff-hanger.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this comic was the structure of it. It’s split into two chapters but presented as Top Secret files. It gives you the impression that you’re reading a report of the events but also that you’ve been granted the security clearance to read said reports. And who doesn’t like the idea of being trusted with important information. Either that or you’ve stolen them. In which case, it’s doubly exciting. Such a simple layout changes the entire feel of the comic – and it has my creative mind running in several different directions.

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What I felt worked extremely well was the colouring. Jenkins does an excellent job of bringing the often dull world of military people and government bases into the light. I’m so used to seeing comics and graphic novels that have this almost sepia-tone like quality to the colour scheme that anything with the mention of war or military loses any interest I might have had. This is certainly not the case here. The colours are vibrant and eye catching. There is nothing subtle about it, especially the misfit mercenaries. They’re easily identifiable by their clothing and hair which will make them easy to spot in later action scenes. I mean, they stand out like each of the stones in the infinity gauntlet; it’s just great to look at!

Speaking of characters, although we’ve just been introduced to the eccentric bunch known as The Squad, it’s already very clear which role each play in the team. What’s also very striking, is the diversity within the group. There’s characters as young as twelve, characters from different races, (more than one) female characters as well as a one with a physical disability. All of them are at the top of their field with skills unmatched by anyone else. I personally love stories that are character-driven and this feels like it will bring lots of development and nuance to the comic. I look forward to reading more!

Operation: Boom is available to buy at Reckless Hero and at ComiXology. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below or on Twitter. Until next time, guys!

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.