Sharing My Story

ArmorQuest: Genesis, (2006), Community Comics, Ben Avery (writer), Sherwin Schwartzrock (artist), $3.50, 160 pp., B & W.

ArmorQuest: Genesis is out in a paperback compilation of all six issues! Sherwin Schwartzrock’s art has been stripped back to black and white, and the contrast is amazing! Add Ben Avery’s cool story on top of that and slap a $3.50 price tag on it - you heard me, 6 issues worth of comics for $3.50 - and I think this might just be the best comics package of 2006! Get 5 for under $20!

I’ve been a big pusher of this series since it came out in comic form and ran for three issues. I got a couple of the TPBs and spread the love around. My 5-year old loves the story - it covers a young boy discovering the Armor of God - but the story can be appreciated by young adults or even older! Good metaphors and allegories concerning Christian truths are all over this book, and the characters are fully fleshed out. Schwartzrock’s art is perfect for this, with fantastic layout and character design as well as a style that gives the feel of the mythic. These two guys are part of the brain trust that is Community Comics, and they are intent on creating professional-grade, entertaining, morally uplifting material for all ages and the hit the nail solidly on the head with this series.

This would probably be best for young Christians, to spur them on to a deeper realationship with the King, but the story is pretty sound, and could be enjoyed by almost anyone. The Christian elements are not heavy-handed at all, but are pretty clear if you know what you’re looking for. The six issues are self-contained, but form a larger story if read together or in series. It does leave off on a “Let’s see what else is out there” kind of vibe, obviously setting up for a potential continuing series (or second limited series) but there are no dropped plot elements or threads. The story and art compliment each other, losing just a little in the black-and-white format (the color of some of the antagonists has minor importance, which is not evident in the B/W version). A solid package.

Review by Steve MacDonald

www.CommunityComics.com

Diary of Hope. (2006). Christine Kerrick Images, Christine Kerrick (writer, artist, publisher), $9.95, 56 pp.

This is a graphic novel (period). Many graphic novels are just glorified comic books. Kerrick uses a combination of journal entries, sketches, illustrations and even some sequential art to propel the narrative. This book covers roughly the same ground as her recently completed three issue mini series, Empire. However while the same characters from Empire are involved in the same situations Diary of Hope complements and not just repeats the events of the mini series.

Diary of Hope brings a greater depth into the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist, Hope Mason. Hope is a young woman whose father, along with millions of others, have suddenly and mysteriously vanished from earth without a trace. The Diary documents Hope's life during the five years after the disappearance of her father. During this period she struggles with her own spirituality and belief in God. After much hardship and soul searching she follows the lead of her father, repents of her sin and becomes a Christian. This causes her to lose old friends and gain new ones and eventually leads to her death by martyrdom at the book's conclusion.

Kerrick's theological stance on the end times is a pre-millennial dispensationalist one. This position holds that true Christians will be physically taken out (raptured) of the world before the "Great Tribulation" and bodily return of Christi and the end of history. While not all Christians hold to this eschatological position the books succeeds as a compelling and gripping drama on its own merits despite whether the reader agrees with the future times scenario underlaying the story.

This is one of the best reads and professionally done packages to come out of the Christian comics movement in recent years. Christine kerrick and batted a home run with this book. Buy it and savor it. Whether you agree or not with the end times scheme you will be blessed.

(This review was written in August 2006)

www.christinekerrick.com