FINGER GUNS #1, out February 26th from Vault Comics, is a brilliant and chaotic start to a new series. And perhaps it is a strong reminder for all the reasons why teenagers should not suddenly wake up one day with powers.
***SPOILER WARNING***
Finger Guns #1 is the start to an all-new series from Vault, written by Justin Richards, and drawn by artist Val Halvorson, with colors by Rebecca Nalty, and letters by Taylor Esposito.
This is a story about two teenagers and the sudden appearance of a very specific power: they can control other peoples’ emotions by pointing “finger guns” at them.
Their abilities may seem odd enough before taking into account the fact that they’re running parallel to one another. On the bright side, this is the opportunity they’ve been looking for. It’s time to change their lives and use this outlet for what it is.
The Plot
A teenager wakes up one day to inexplicable yet incredibly useful powers. We’ve all seen that story a time or two. So it’s going to take some effort to surprise us. Yet that is exactly what Finger Guns #1 manages to do.
This is not your typical teenager getting powers story. There is no epic saga for them to go off on. There is no prophecy. No. This is just the story of two kids messing around with something that is way over their heads.
Justin Richards has introduced us to this world in a whirlwind of an issue. Wes and Sadie both have very different lives – yet it’s their powers that bring them together. While there were certain predictable elements (teenage boy gets powers and immediately uses it to mess with people) it was the fun sort of predictable, with lots of drama and fooling around.
The series starts off on a light and even slightly teasing tone, but it also proved that it isn’t afraid to get seriously dark when the time calls for it. That ability is going to take this series farther, and let it grow into something even bigger as time goes on. Just you watch.
The Art
Finger Guns #1 features a lot of really clever and fun artwork. Take that cover issue, for example. It’s a flip cover! That’s pretty cool, and not something you see every day. It’s also fairly symbolic in regards to our two main characters, for more than one reason.
The artwork is light and fun but full of bold colors and determined expressions. Our teenagers are full of angst – and it shows. Their emotions are raw and clear to see, as was intended. Meanwhile, the color palette is slightly off from reality, but that gives it this great twist to make the series stand out. And arguably it suits the plot itself very nicely.
In Conclusion
Finger Guns #1 was a fun and chaotic introduction to this series. Wes and Sadie are not your ordinary protagonists, and it will be interesting to see how their story develops from here. This is not a series for fans to miss out on, thanks to the unique nature of it all.
