‘Guardians 0’ Comic Review

In their desperation they called out to their maker for help.
They asked for angels…
They prayed for saviors…
What they received… were Guardians.

There are so many comic series available to read it’s hard to choose which ones are worth a visit. The concept of an introductory issue, typically numbered zero, became a popular idea to offer a cheaper and quick introduction into a new series. At the same time, with it being a typically smaller issue, the introductory #0 issue is a hard book to judge. So the ultimate goal isn’t if it’s deep, perfect, or original but does it make you want to invest in issue #1.

Guardians, written by Todd Black and illustrated by Chua Eng Chee, is an independently published comic that has put out a #0 issue to attempt to build an audience. Guardians takes place in Delta City, a place with plenty of promise and therefore plenty of crime. The city is in desperate need of a savior, and somehow through their cries for help they receive two.

Guardians Comic Review 2

These two mythical brothers, simply known as Element and Chaos, are the Guardians.

Being that Guardians only has an introductory issue makes it harder to determine how good or bad the series will be. The concept presents a considerable amount of promise. The idea of two beings sent from god-knows-where to protect a city in peril is an interesting concept in itself. Mix in that one of the brothers appears much more light-hearted and interested in people while one is a bit darker and destined to bring the pain leads one to believe that there will be plenty of struggle in deciding how far they must go to protect the innocent and represent change.

But that’s just it. At this time it’s all promise. Guardians #0 has no dialogue and very little insight into what we really get. Even with two prologues, one introducing the concept and the other taking a look at the inner thoughts of both Element and Chaos, there’s still little to be known about what might happen.

Separating the elements and judging the work of each contributor individually helps shed light on the promise that Guardians has going for it. Chee does a good job with the art. His cityscapes are beautiful and his characters look well developed. The art remains consistent from page to page which is something I like to see in a comic series. Chee is nicely complimented by the color work of Alex Garcia. Colors offer a bit of depth to the issue and more importantly lend very well to establishing the mood of each scene. This is clearly Black’s baby though, with Black being the writer and creator of the comic series.

Guardians Comic Review 1

As noted, Guardians shows a considerable amount of promise as the ideas presented are strong. How deep they are is still to be determined, and I feel that is the weak point in this introductory issue. I am uncertain if back story has been developed for the brothers or the concept, and I feel that’s something that needs to be more clearly explored in an introductory issue.

With its faults and its strengths, Guardians is a fantastic example of a creative group putting their talents to the test and entering an unforgiving world of independent publishing. I am interested to see where the series goes, as Black and his team have a great idea and a good looking product that could blossom into a hidden gem. The series is now available on Comixology, and so it seems more likely Guardians won’t stay hidden for too long.

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