Incident Report #1, created by Brian Sippin, Mary G. Puppo, and Mark Romero, takes readers into a world where they are able to see the more mundane lifestyle of those with superpowers with a crime drama mixed in as well. Currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, this is a comic you definitely don’t want to miss!
Social Services agent Anne Harris finds herself in a predicament when her old boss asks her to return as an active criminal investigation agent in the ICA division after her best friend Alexei is killed in the line of duty. With a sister and family to look after, Anne is hesitant to return to the force but ultimately agrees. Her one last job is to be partnered with a Russian agent named Markov.
We start off this comic with interesting world building that truly highlights the mundane aspect of those with superpowers. As a social services agent, we are first introduced to Anne taking a case where a toddler’s powers are beginning to manifest. It’s through here that we learn Chimerans (those with superpowers) must go through a lengthy process of registration and proper schooling. The conversation is so nonchalant, it’s clear this has become simply a way of life. Oh, and did we mention our protagonist has awesome fire powers?
Ryan Best‘s artwork is very clean and concise. The colour scheme keeps the story grounded, never going too bright for the reader, as a reminder that this is a crime drama and not a flashy superhero story. One small detail we really appreciated was the thought boxes being defined and colour-coded which really added to the readability of the story.
Our one complaint for this comic would have to be the secondary characters. Anne is such a well-rounded, intriguing individual that it’s a shame she is surrounded by a lacklustre cast. Many of these characters, such as Assistant Director Carver and Russian Agent Markov are static and just downright unlikable. Carver comes off as merely trying to cover her own mistakes and using Anne to fix her problems while Markov is portrayed as a stereotypical Russian strong-man. Luckily, this is only the first issue so we’re hoping these characters become more fleshed out as the story goes on. There’s also a POV shift in the middle of the comic which can be a bit jarring but, again, will hopefully turn around as the story progresses.
Overall, Incident Report #1 has a lot to offer any fan of sci-fi, alternate history, crime dramas and superpowers in mundane life. As more issues go on, the world of Incident Report will expand and grow and we’re looking forward to see it!
Check out their Kickstarter for more information and how you can support this comic. Already donated to this project? Let us know in the comments below or share your thoughts on Twitter!
