RECOMMENDED: "No Mercy" (Image Comics)

- by Señor Editor, 9 May 2015

The Marvel Universe is supposedly ending, but why should anybody care, when "No Mercy", by Alex De Campi, Carla Speed McNeil and Jenn Manley Lee, is beginning? I just read this comicbook like an hour ago, and I'm here to tell you why you also need to read it. RIGHT NOW.

Issue #1 cover. Click to enlarge.

I don't think I've ever read anything by Alex De Campi, but if her other comics are even close to being as good as "No Mercy", then I've been seriously missing out. There are only two issues of "No Mercy" out right now, but don't wait for the trade or whatever. Don't be stupid. There's no time to wait. You can buy the trade after you buy the issues. 

The great thing about "No Mercy" is that it gets you completely hooked around the time you get to page two. It has a really simple premise, and it's a great one. It has entitled American teenagers (and most of them are douchebags) that get thrown into a terrible situation. And it's a highly realistic scenario, one that could happen and you'd see this on the news. Except this is much more entertaining than news.

So let's talk about this premise. A group of kids goes on a pre-freshman trip to Latin America, where they will help build schools. Building schools isn't really their main concern, though. They are there because this experience will help set them on great career paths. Most of them are loud, obnoxious, culturally insensitive or just terrible people, in general. They're pampered teenagers, after all. You actually get all this info in the span two panels. Enjoy:

Fast & convenient exposition!

Economic storytelling right there, and we can get on with the plot. The group is joined by several locals: a nun, that's probably the smartest person on the trip, a shady man, who just talks his way onto the bus, and a mysterious woman. They all get on a crappy bus, ready to hit the road. This will be a long journey to their destination, and they will drive through some dangerous territories. After all, you don't have to go build schools in happy, peaceful, prospering places.

Once they're on their way, and they're basically in the middle of nowhere, there's an accident, and the bus drives off a cliff. Several people die, several are injured, none of the group can get a signal on their little iPhones, it's getting dark, and the nun says they can't stay where they are, or they're screwed. Even getting through the night will be a problem, because coyotes are already gathering, lured by the smell of dead bodies.

As De Campi begins to tell her story, we already know that, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, all this kids are dead. We know this from this fantastic spread at the beginning of issue one:

Great double-page spread. So realistic, there's even a bit of Obama-blaming visible.

What's great in De Campi's story is the set of characters she created. I already mentioned the nun (her name is Marisela) being the likeable character, and the shady man being shady, but it's the teenagers that are pretty interesting here. Some are really unlikeable, like the "freegan", Burning Man-loving hippy/hipster fellow, or the totally terrible kid, who brought his younger sister with him and constantly bullies her. But some of them are just not adjusted to these new circumstances, and they have potential to become something other than annoying teens. This is one really well thought out story, and very character-centric.

De Campi's script really comes to life thanks to the art by Carla Speed McNeil and colors by Jenn Manley Lee. This art duo fits the book perfectly. At first, the art looks happy, youthful and fun - just what you'd expect from a book mostly about a group of teenagers. But when things go south, and people are either dead or bruised and terrified, the colors and art adjusts to that. It's a great contrast, and it helps sell the whole distressful situation we're reading about. Also, McNeil puts many cool and creative panels into the story, the Facebook thing above being just one of many great touches.

Next: coyotes.

I'm a bitter, jaded man, and I lose interest in mediocre things super fast. This isn't mediocre. This is great and I'm really looking forward to the next chapter of this story. There are already enough seeds planted in the first two issues, that you just know this story can only escalate. Image has another great title on their hands right here, and that's why this gets the prestigious Trash Mutant recommendation! Go buy this!


Did you buy it already? How did you like it? Are you planning to buy it? (You should!) Leave us a comment. We care deeply about comments!

Tagged: comics, Reviews, RECOMMENDED.

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