Making a comeback after a long hiatus, it’s my Indie Comic Review Segment! A lot has changed as you know: the ComicBookBoom Blog being no more, putting myself out there as a writer and working on my first full length issue. All this to say that another thing that’s changed is my perspective, especially when it comes to indie comics and the creators behind them. Back then I was wildly critical and unfair at times, having not taken the time to appreciate the astronomical effort required to write and produce a full fledged issue. When you’re indie…you are independent. As in, on your own island putting sweat, blood and tears into making these books. I cringe at most of my old reviews, having failed to give proper kudos to the creators. I’ll do better. That being said...I’d like to give my first kudos to Derek W. Lipscomb for his enormously ambitious work, The Maroon. Not only has he generated multiple full length issues (14!), he’s done a majority of the work by himself. Writing and illustration, the bulk of work with any comic endeavor. He is supported by the editorial team of Brian & Rose Coles. I applaud Derek for maintaining this passion for a multiple issue run. Meanwhile, I’m sweating over the script of a single issue. Recap (minor spoilers) The Maroon #1 introduces us to a lone Black-Seminole on the run. He chances upon a Chikasaw father-son duo. The father tells the stranger to be on his way, directing him to a water source. Inki - meaning “father” - is then met with lawmen who claim that the nameless Maroon has committed terrible atrocities. Inki’s intuition tells him that this isn’t so and directs the men away from their prey. Inki’s intuition is proven correct when The Maroon saves his son from a mystical tusked bear, said to be a demon. Following this heroic undertaking, more trouble makes its way to The Maroon and the family. Story/Writing The story acts as a self contained issue, both an introduction to the Maroon and likely a tone setter for the stories to come. The Maroon is after all plagued with trouble “like a cursed shadow.” Derek establishes The Maroon’s plight as well as the fact that he is a person of good character (even though he claims he’s not a good man). You like the protagonist, root for him, which is ultimately Derek’s end goal He also teases at a more intriguing world, with demon-tusk bears being only the scratch on the surface. This is not your typical Western. As a writer, I know that feeling where you are limited by the number of pages and you want to cover enough world building to get the reader hooked. I wished Derek shared more then the bear, but I understand that there are alot of objectives to cover in Issue #1. No doubt readers will be excited to read more as Derek expands on this mythic concept. The story had a steady build and then accelerated very quickly at the end. Once I read page 24 (of 28) I found myself thinking, “oh crap he went there.” Definitely a tone setter for the upcoming issues. For Mature Readers Only. Gotta read the warning label on the packages folks! I felt that the dialogue was solid, Derek created distinct voices among the characters. I also appreciated him taking the time to inject a little history into the story, with native translations. Story pacing was good, with lows never lasting more than a page. He even injected a little levity before the climax which further fed into that accelerated feeling I mentioned earlier. Art Enormous props again for taking on the writing and art, I’m not sure if I could have the bandwidth for such a feat. What stood out to me was Derek’s scenework where he employs a toolkit of vibrancy, textures and blurs to create a cool effect. The foreground characters pop against this background, which serves the story quite well. He is also skilled at creating motion and gore within the comic. The action sequence against the tusk bear was well executed and didn’t feel static. The splattering of blood throughout felt like an ode to Spaghetti Westerns and Django Unchained. Again, read the label! I also enjoyed his lettering which was unapologetic and reminds you that you are reading a comic book, not just witnessing a drama. Conclusion
I felt this was a great establishing story that introduces both The Maroon and what you can expect from Derek W. Lipscomb. With a unique artstyle, Derek teases a mythical world with tie-ins to Native American culture and Tarantino violence. With a likeable main character, accelerating plotlines, and curious worldbuilding, Derek makes a strong case for continuing to read The Maroon beyond Issue #1. Massive props for the work he’s done and continues to do. Which 14 issues complete, you won’t feel any shortage of Maroon content. Till next time, look out for tusk-bears! -AJ
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