Snow: The Dawn #1 review!

‘Snow: The Dawn’ #1 cover art

• Written by Nick Goode
• Art by Harry Hughes

The year is 2079, a series of terrorist bombings have rattled what remains of England after the effects of global warming took the world by surprise in 2020. The people have lost faith in the government despite their efforts to aid the country’s reform. Isolated and alone, London has split into boroughs, each borough governed by a councilman who reports to Parliament. In the fifth borough, Islington. James Snow, a political researcher, is in the midst of it all. Events begin to unfold that will change his way of life forever…

Pickup your copy of ‘Snow: The Dawn’ #1 at Comixology now!

It’s true when people say that every now and then a complete gem comes along and takes you entirely by surprise. It’s no secret that much of my comic reading comes from the world of mainstream comics but I’ve never actively ignored indies. I just struggle to know what to pick up having been burned one too many times.

The world of indie comics can be filled with non-starter ideas and poorly actualised concepts. ‘Snow: The Dawn’ is neither of these things.

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by writer Nick Goode to take a read of the series to help give a little promo and I’m damn glad that he did. I’m a total sucker for a dystopian future as he now knows because I’m entirely sucked in to the world of ‘Snow: The Dawn’.

For me the best part of reading something so dystopian is being thrown right in without having to spend hours reading through setup. A version of the above synopsis opens the issue and gives more than enough for the reader to understand what they are getting in to. Introducing lead character James we learn much of the world of through his experiences. It’s a great way to setup the story without pulling focus from its lead.

From the outset Hughes’ artwork is fully immersive. His style is instantly unique from anything else, call it a fault of my predominantly mainstream tastes but this series looks like nothing else out there.

His use of colour adds to the bleak atmosphere of the story. Night scenes are bathed in blues and explosions pop with burning reds and oranges. The artwork evokes a feeling similar to reading the original DIY issues of ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ when Eastman and Laird were working out of their basement.

“Snow: The Dawn’ #1 acts very much as a launchpad for the series by introducing the characters and setting the scene. Goode and Hughes are able to balance the bigger moments with enough character to keep it intriguing throughout. The story of this issue is nice and simple, it’s a hello to the world of ‘Snow: The Dawn’ and a well executed one.

James, our protagonist, is a compelling character. He’s an Everyman. Goode imbues him with a voice that I dare any reader not to identify with whilst Hughes draws him as a forelorn John Constantine type of guy. I’m interested to see how his character develops over the course of the series. A flash forward at the beginning and events towards the end clearly propelling his life in new directions. He’s a likeable hero and one with enough character to carry the series.

There is a strong set of supporting roles to be developed but this is really James’ origin story. I really focussed in on his character when reading this so as yet I haven’t picked up on any other characters of interest. But they are there and ready to steal the limelight when their time comes.

‘Snow: The Dawn’ is clearly a well thought out story. There are twists and turns throughout which mean the pace is never slow and there’s more than enough originality to ensure the story never falls in to cliché territory.

Verdict

‘Snow: The Dawn’ #1 is a compelling opener to the series. It sets up an exciting world filled with interesting characters who are both skilfully written and beautifully drawn. I suggest you go grab yourself a copy.

4 stars