No Spell lasts Forever #1 - Story by Sarah Cooke, art and colors by Aimee Hawley
Well, for my very first Kickstarter purchase I definitely hit a homerun. No Spell lasts Forever is a magic noir comic by Sarah Cooke, and I knew just from the description and cover alone it was a comic I needed to support. My (signed) copy finally arrived in the mail, and I ripped right into it. It was as delightful a read as I thought it would be. Sarah Cooke and Aimee Hawley create an amethyst tinted world blended with the best elements of fantasy and noir stories. The story (so far) revolves around a gang war taking place in New York City. The main character is Rosette, a magic using enforcer for the mob, and the story tracks her as she contemplates what it means to be a mob enforcer and she wonders whether she is squandering her gifts. Cooke deftly introduces us to each faction and character, without wasting too much time on each one. The story reads and looks a lot like Batman: Year One, with a focus on a powered enforcer being hunted down by a good cop. The art by Hawley is stunning too, it's hard to take your eyes off each panel she drew and colored. I will say the whole "Devil" plot completely surprised me, even though I knew it was coming (from the description of the book). Cooke created such a strong Noir scene that the Devil/Fantasy parts hardly seem needed, but I'm excited to see where that goes as well. Do yourself a favor and pick it up when it becomes available!