Brittany Pezzillo

PopCultHQ reviews A MAN AMONG YE Vol. 1 TPB from Image Comics/Top Cow Productions. Available February 10th, the book features writing by Stephanie Phillips, illustrations by Craig Cermak, colors by John Kalisz & Brittany Pezzillo, and letters by Troy Peteri.

Here is PopCultHQ’s Spoiler-Free Review of…

A MAN AMONG YE Vol. 1 TPB

Story: Stephanie Phillips
Art: Craig Cermak
Colors: John Kalisz & Brittany Pezzillo
Letters: Troy Peteri

Collects A MAN AMONG YE #1-4

High adventure on the high seas in the waning days of piracy, when men were men, and the best pirates were…women? Writer STEPHANIE PHILLIPS (Butcher of Paris, Descendent) and artist CRAIG CERMAK (Red Team, Voltron) bring to life the tale of Anne Bonny and Mary Read as they hoist the skull and crossbones, draw cutlasses, and seek a treasure that will make them legends. In an era where sailing with women was thought to be bad luck, Anne and Mary might just be the only women capable of saving the pirates’ way of life.

PopCultHQ’s Comic Book Review:
A MAN AMONG YE Vol. 1 TPB

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life indeed! Relieve the glory days when the seas were open and endless. When adventure and danger lurked on every horizon and new ports of call beckoned all who craved a life of excitement and adventure. Meet Anne Bonney and Mary Read, two women bound by either fate or misfortune, and destined to live on forever as Queens of the high seas. 

Writing: Pirates, whether they are known historic figures or characters of fiction, provide a real spice of life when it comes to the stories that are told about them. Oftentimes the ones about actual pirates such as Anne Bonney and Mary Read tread the fine line between fact and fiction. Stephanie walks that line in a way that presents a fun, rollicking romp through the Caribbean and re-introduces two of the most infamous persons to ever hoist the colors high. Her presentation of Anne and Mary gives readers a taste of who these women were at the height of their careers, whilst still leaving much unspoken to bring people back for more high seas adventures. 

Art: Craig crafts compelling and stunning illustrations to bring Stephanie’s scripts to life. The world of Anne and Mary is a bright one, full of the excitement and danger that came with being a pirate. The constant danger, living for oneself and being beholden to master. His artwork that brings to life the chaos and excitement of daring ship battles and duels are beautifully rendered and add to the heightened sense of adventure that abounds throughout the book. 

Colors: John and Brittany team-up on colors for this fun and epic TPB. Their choices truly compliment both the art and story in ways that enhance the overall appeal of the book. One of the standout examples of this visual enhancement is, ironically enough, in the color choices for clothing. There are no dull or muted colors for the garb of the pirates. Whether it is the bright red and blue that adorns Anne and Mary’s jackets or the mixed palette for ‘Calico Jack’s’ bandana, these are choice samples of what readers can expect from this great team. 

Letters: Troy takes point on lettering duties and hits the mark through and through. Especially when it comes to the dialogue for the villainous scoundrels that are this tale’s protagonists. They convey a certain tone that speaks well to the task of telling tales of these two felonious fiends. It feels rather like Troy is transcribing dialogue from history itself, which will give readers an extra dash of delight when they look upon his work. 

PopCultHQ’s overall assessment:

Danger and daring-do aboard the high seas are endless in this delightful book. A look back at two of piracy’s most famous felons, amidst the backdrop of the 17th century. A compelling script, exciting artwork, creative colors, and lovely lettering make this book a fun and fine piece of work. So hoist the colors high and set sail aboard ‘A Man Among Ye’!

PopCultHQ’s Rating:

5 out of 5 Stars

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