Deron Generally
Deron Generally
Time Before Time #1
Image Comics
Written by Declan Shalvey and Rory McConville
Art by Joe Palmer
Colors by Chris O’Halloran
Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
The Rundown: A courier in the future will find that playing around with time has a cost.
The year is 2140 and Tatsuo works for a syndicate that specializes in moving people with the money back in time to start new lives. A task that takes a toll on the man both physically and emotionally. As he deals with the world he currently lives in, he wonders if maybe living in the past might be the better option. A prospect he brings up to his friend Oscar who warns him about the dangerous people they work for, but gets interested in the idea as well.
When an unfortunate incident occurs that affects someone close to Tatsuo, the idea of stealing a time pod and leaving starts looking better by the day. When he finally makes his decision, he finds himself on the business end of a gun and the woman holding it who wants him to take her to another time. A woman who will be the catalyst for a dangerous adventure.
The Story: Shalvey and McConville grabbed my attention almost immediately with the premise of this story and held it with great dialogue and realistic characters. I like the everyman quality of Tatsuo and how he navigates the world. I also enjoy the world that is being created which is brilliantly illustrated by the mother and son in the first scene as well as Tatsuo’s last job in the 1960’s. There is a depth to this story and that comes across in the character relationships and interactions. I loved the cliffhanger ending and look forward to what comes next.
The Art: Joe Palmer gives the visuals a great film noir style. The characters look great and the world is layered with details that visually catch the eye.
Time Before Time #1
