LAND OF NEVER #1 (Mad Cave Studios)

A father’s worst nightmares come true as his daughter is abducted from their home by a big induvial wearing a baby mask. The worst part is nobody believes him and this makes him a suspect to boot. What lengths will go through to find his daughter and the person who kidnapped her?

Land of Never #1 - Written By Steve Orlando – Art By Miguel Mora – Colors By Fares Maese – Letters By Micah Myers -Edited By Jon Moisan - Published By Mad Cave Studios

Credit: Mad Cave Studios

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

STORY OVERVIEW:

Jim Hoke is a former forensic scientist who lost his job due to evidence tampering. But he’s used to loss, as his wife passed away years ago. But his next loss was the worst as his daughter gets kidnapped by a massive person wearing a baby mask. He witnessed the perp grabbing her and taking her out the window. Fast forward six months and the police cleared him but turned the case into a cold case. However, Hoke isn’t willing to let it go, so he starts his own investigation. Through his work he discovers that many other families have had the same thing happen to them. So many that the perp has been given a nickname the Floating Man.

WRITING:

The first issue of Land of Never delivers a great premise and start to an interesting series. Steve Orlando gives the reader a really good backstory to get this series started. Having a flawed father as the lead character makes the reader question everything up front. As the story is unraveling it even looks like possibly the father may be unstable enough to have something to do with the disappearance. This doubt and mystery brings an air of anticipation to the story. The dream scenes play on the anticipation of what has happened and draws the imagination of the reader. However, at the end Orlando turns it on us a bit and introduces/teases a bigger picture story that ties into a legendary tale.

ARTWORK:

The artwork in this first issue matches the story and helps build that air of anticipation. Miguel Mora brings this world to life and makes the reader feel uncertainty about what is going on. The character designs, especially for the kidnapper are effective. The design is menacing and eerie at the same time. The emotions come through in Mora’s artwork and really drive the point home. My favorite scenes are the dream scenes, as they feel like alternate realities that could be real. The art team as a whole does a fantastic job and makes me excited for what’s going to come ahead.

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Final Thoughts:

Land of Never #1 is a nice start to a very promising series. The initial premise will grab your attention, but the teased tie in will make you sit up in your seat. The artwork is fantastic and leaves nothing to the imagination as it captures the story completely. This is a must grab at the shop this week. Give this first issue a shot and consider adding it to your Pull List, or at the very least order the second issue to see where it goes.

FINAL GRADE: 9.4/10

Let me know your thoughts on Land of Never #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!