Masks #1
Written by Chris Roberson
Painted by Alex Ross
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Alex Ross, Jae Lee, Francesco Francavilla & Ardian Syaf
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: November 28, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Masks #1 is not just another mega crossover. It’s the BEST kind of crossover. One that’s natural and organic and one that makes sense. It’s not just another “let’s throw all our characters into one big fight” book. It’s a top of the line, great comic.

Dynamite could NOT have chosen a better person to write this, that comic scribe Chris Roberson. He works MAGIC in this book. As I stated before, everything flows naturally, and nothing is forced. The book takes place in the golden age of the pulp heroes, with everyone in their prime. Again, everything is natural and flows beautifully. The Green Hornet & Kato follow a big time criminal to New York City where they meet up with The Shadow. I don’t want to give too much away, but other characters follow and are introduced. Also, what I loved about this book is the villains. They’re perfect pulp villains. There’s no all powerful bad guy who holds the city hostage, it’s a natural enemy for the heroes of that time. This is some really solid writing, and I can’t wait for future issues.

I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve never been the world’s biggest Alex Ross fan. I like my comic book are a little less realistic than he paints. So, I went into this book expecting not to be too thrilled with the art. BOY, was I wrong! I seriously don’t think that ANYONE other than Ross could’ve done this book. This is the kind of book that he was born to do. With his superhero work, it’s a little hard to swallow because he’s uber realistic and super hero costumes are hard to translate into real life. The art here is beyond gorgeous and totally fits the book.

There’s a lot going on in comics right now, and I’m afraid this excellent book might be overlooked. I am BEGGING you, for your own enjoyment, PLEASE pick this book up. It’s a great read, has great art and is an excellent comic from cover to cover. Also, this is a great book to give a friend who’s not into comics. Great jumping on point with characters that almost everyone is familiar with. PICK IT UP!