First off, Tony Shasteen’s art is absolutely gorgeous. The designs of the various familiars are absolutely fantastic – Ridley has a very cool design that feels immediately iconic. Aaron’s familiar, Lucy, is similarly well-designed. They just pop off the page. It’s not just the monsters – there’s a great flow to the pages, and the emotion in his faces is impressive. It’s quite lovely.
I’m not familiar with co-writers Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett, except for the fact that “Terry Matalas” was a character on a later season of 24. It certainly doesn’t read like a first script, though. The dialogue is witty, with more than a few genuine laughs. And there are some great surprise reveals. There are at least three big “No way!” moments, including the last-page hook that would seem to leave room for a sequel.
