Stronghold #1 (of 3) - Devil's Due (2005)

The art convinced me to buy this book. This is the kind of stuff I like to see in a black-and-white comic. Tyler Walpole's panels lie somewhere between photorealistic and fantastic. It's a great style for the story as well as being just a great style on its own. Plus, the dude's name is "Tyler Walpole". Great name! If he didn't exist we would have had to invent him.

The example below shows off the art nicely but Walpole really shines when he draws the members of the secret, global conspiracy of the comic's title.



The Stronghold exists to keep one guy in the dark about his true potential and they've done a great job of it until now. Michael Grey (the aforementioned guy) moves through his life in a haze surrounded by people and things with which he feels no connection. He senses that there's something more but it is so distant that he doubts the reality of the world around him.

He's like an artist with a day job.

There's another global conspiracy led by this wicked-looking guy who moonlights as a heavy-metal album cover model. The counter conspiracy is trying to get Michael to realize his potential in order to start a big war.

Hijinks ensue.

The retail price is five bucks but, as the cover states, it's 48 pages long. They shoved all the ads to the back of the book which is a trend I like. Some recent comics I've read have had their narrative flow ruined by the ads all over them.

Phil Hester has written a compelling tale with very few loose ends and some tantalizing hints of Michael's backstory. The characters are engaging and the cool action scenes are cool and actiony. If "chosen one" stories are not your bag you may want to seek alternative entertainment but I like this kind of thing. It appeals to that suspicion many of us have had since we were kids that aliens planted us here and that our "real parents" will be by to get us soon so we can use our cool powers. This one's going in the hold box.