HOTSHOT 4 Review
Facts:
In the first part of this issue we get to see Michael as a struggling student. We learn that being HotShot has influenced every aspect of Michael’s life from his relationships to his education.
Also in this issue Michael suits back up to defend justice.
Story by Victor Dandridge, Lines by Michael Watson, Inks by Jeriel Burton, Brian Latimer & Matt Keltner, Colours by Ryan Carter.
Pros:
I like that HotShot sees some more action in this comic. I’ve really enjoyed the window into Michael's personal life but it's nice to see his superhero side again.
I enjoy the use of words to depict auditory cues.
The larger panels with little to no speech are very well done.
The story leaves off with Michael carrying a lot of pent up anger and resentment about recent events. I’m interested to see how this will affect the upcoming battles that HotShot must face.
I like the Las Vegas scene for multiple reasons. The colours and rendering capture the Vegas vibe and place you in that city. It also manages to show the destruction of the previous fight and has great overlaying of panels that show the devastation of the character.
The last splash page is rendered with a good sense of depth, proportion, and movement and a colour palette that make HotShot seem to pop off the page. The background is also just enough to make you feel like you have a destination giving it some grounding and weight.
Cons:
This issue has a tendency to be a bit busy in its design and some of the panels are filled with excess clutter.
With so much character interaction some of the smaller panels seem overwhelmed by the speech bubbles. The use of very dark colours on some of the panels makes the spaces seem claustrophobic.
There is one panel in a class room where a torso with no legs is floating in the corner.
I think that some of the figures seem loosely rendered or even unfinished in the heavy dialog scenes. The artists might have done this to fit the characters in the panels and keep readers’ focused on the interactions.
Overall: 7
I feel this issue has some entertaining highlights; however it doesn’t seem as well thought out as some of the previous issues.
I think that modeling the characters with light will help to emphasize the shadows without creating a claustrophobic feel.
The storyline builds to an exciting and interesting climax. You are left wondering how Michael's personal life will affect how HotShot responds to his superhero responsibilities.
There are ads in this issue of HotShot. This is good for the HotShot series as it means the comics are gaining in popularity and getting some revenue but it also took me off guard when I saw the first one.
