In an alternate world where man has mysteriously gone extinct and the woodland creatures find themselves with an intellectual awareness that they have never possessed before, we find tribes of creatures who, in order to survive, must become the Squarriors!
“Squarrrrrriorrrsssssss come out and playyyyyyyyyy” That’s the mantra everyone should scream to Ashley and Ash (Team Ash), the creators of Squarriors, at every comic con you see them at. Squarriors is by far the raddest new comic book to hit the comic stands in a very long time and I am endlessly excited to get each new issue of this fresh new take on epic story telling.
When I now find myself reading less and less superhero type comic books, I was completely blown away at just the concept Ash Maczko (writer) came up with on Squarriors. Before even reading the series, I had a strong feeling I would like this comic book…..once I got done reading the first two issues I was so greatly satisfied with the mind-numbing epic I was just about to head on. I have not felt this way about a new comic book story in a long time and it has nothing to do with hype or flashy costumes!!
Since I want to write a review that is not quite a review, because honestly I don’t want to spoil a single thing for any future Squarriors readers, but I have to at least give people a taste. Here is what I’ll do… Ash Maczko and I did a great interview on Squarriors you can also read here on PopcultHq, so this review will be mostly on Ashley Witter’s most spectacular artwork in the Squarriors series.
Interview with Squarriors writer/creator Ash Maczko
From the start of Issue #1 you know you’re not looking at your average bulk and muscle superhero artist. Ashley Witter obviously comes from a very well taught background in fine arts and if she is not, that goes to show even more so how talented this artist is.
As a 30 year comic book fan, I personally fall in love with the artist side of comic books hence why I mostly interview artists not writers…..joke. Seriously though, I do follow artist careers more closely so when I say that Squarriors is quite possibly the most beautiful looking artwork in all of comics, I’m not just saying so. The last time I felt such richness in artwork and coloring was during the Marvel’s Origin: Wolverine mini-series with artwork by Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove. That mini-series sets the bar for me on the finest possible collaboration between artist and colorist. Squarriors is the first comic book in years to make me feel such depth of a dramatic new epic that is about to begin while at the same time giving my eyes such richness to take in with its artwork.
To be a fair critic, the only thing I had trouble with in Squarriors that I hope the creators take as constructive criticism is this… one thing I have learned from the great writers and artists I have met over the many years around the comic book industry has been storytelling by panel. Every panel should be able to tell a part of the grand-scale of the story without using words. You should be able to follow a book smoothly on just the artwork alone with the words being the glue to the mold. There were few (very few) panels that were hard to follow or know exactly what was happening without having to piece it together with the surrounding panels. This, of course, comes with experience and working together for a long time, which I really hope Team Ash sticks together for decades because together they are dynamic storytellers on their own rights!!
Squarriors is so HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me and is definitely on my MUST BUY lists!! With only two issues out so far it’s a great series to jump on now…..if you can find a copy!! No worries even if you cannot find a copy in a local comic shop there is always digital ComiXology version. Be sure to check out issue #3 when it comes to stores in June!
