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