PopCultHQ received a review copy of THE GRAVEDIGGERS UNION #1 from Image Comics. Available November 1st, 2017, the creative team for this series features writing and art from Wes Craig, art from Toby Cypress, colors by Niko Guardia, and lettering from Jared K. Fletcher.
Here’s PopCultHQ’s spoiler-free review of…
THE GRAVEDIGGERS UNION #1
Writer: Wes Craig
Artists: Toby Cypress and Wes Craig
Colorist: Niko Guardia
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Cover Artist: Wes Craig
In Shops: November 1st, 2017
SRP: $3.99
DEADLY CLASS co-creator WES CRAIG launches a new series with art by rising star TOBY CYPRESS (Omega Men)! The supernatural world has gone crazy! The apocalypse is coming, and only the Gravediggers Union can stop it! How? Well, first their leader Cole has to find his estranged daughter. But is she the one behind the apocalypse? Wild comedic horror with steroid zombies, monster gods, swamp vampires, ghost storms, and space monkeys! OVERSIZED FIRST ISSUE!
PopCultHQ’s Comic Book Review:
The Gravediggers Union #1
Writing:
Wes Craig’s writing for issue #1 is great. There’s a little bit of everything in it: action, drama, monsters, with grounded characters that have tons of room for growth. Horror fans and fans of Wes’s other work at Image will get a real kick out of this book. It’s the perfect thing to pick up right after Halloween and is sure to be a ground-breaking and fabulous piece of work.
Art:
Wes and Toby Cypress share the art duties for issue #1. Wes’s pages are surreal, the style is very bizarre and out there. It’s the opening act for the book, but at the same time, it doesn’t give anything away which eggs readers to keep exploring. Toby’s art, on the other hand, is rough at times. Characters have shape and definition but they aren’t smoothly drawn, which makes sense because the world they inhabit is a rough one, a place of constant monsters and all manner of crazy stuff.
Niko Guardia makes a big splash as colorist here. There’s a lot of color going on in this issue alone. Every single thing has detailed colors laid out across it, from minute scene details to defined features for the main characters. Niko was the right choice for this book; it’s clear he’s got a lot of heart and it will pour out into working with Wes and Tony.
Jared K. Fletcher put a lot of solid work in as letterer. There’s a lot of word balloons and internal monologue at play here. It’s a complex series starting out, and that calls for a letterer who can stand up and show they’ve got the right stuff. Jared’s gift especially shines out with the lettering for Gravedigger Cole, who is clearly a character readers will want to keep an eye on. This is thanks in part to Jared’s lettering and I can’t wait to see what he does next for issue #2.
PopCultHQ’s overall assessment:
Welcome to the world of The Gravediggers Union. They are the guardians of life, protectors of mankind against all kinds of thing that bump in the night. If there’s a problem to be solved, they’re on the job. Wes Craig, Toby Cypress, Niko Guardia and Jared K. Fletcher have landed big time with this series. It’s going to be a real treat to watch what they do together as it moves forward. So don’t miss out, get a copy of this first issue today.
PopCultHQ’s Rating:
5 Out of 5 Stars
THE GRAVEDIGGERS UNION #1 can be purchased now on ComiXology
and available at your local comic shop and online retailers Wednesday, November 1st!
Be sure to follow the creative team!
Writer/Artist – Wes Craig
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Artist – Toby Cypress
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Colorist – Niko Guardia
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Letterer – Jared K. Fletcher
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Publisher – Image Comics
