Yumi: 00EX #1 (IMAGE COMICS)

Alrighty, peeps, let's talk about Yumi: 00EX #1 by Doug Wagner, Hoyt Silva, Kevin Lennertz, & Frank Cvetkovic ( Image Comics through 12 Gauge Comics)

If you’re familiar with Doug Wagner’s writing, you know his work can lean toward the creepy, fantastical, and downright strange, especially when it comes to horror. His books also tend to have a colorful and distinct visual identity. Yumi: 00EX Issue 1 definitely carries some of that familiar Doug Wagner energy, but this time, horror isn’t the focus.

credit: Image Comics

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

Instead, Yumi: 00EX delivers an action comedy packed with anime energy, music, romantic obsession, and a healthy dose of over the top personality. There are a lot of different influences being thrown together here, and on paper, they might sound like they shouldn’t all belong in the same comic. Somehow, they absolutely do.

That mixture is what immediately grabbed me.

The illustrations by Kevin Lernerz capture the exaggerated expressions, movement, and energy you would expect from anime and manga. The artwork embraces the craziness of the concept rather than trying to hold it back, which gives the book a personality of its own.

Frank Cvetkvic’s colors push that feeling even further. The bright and energetic palette gives the artwork an almost animated quality. The colors don’t simply fill the page. They help establish the tone and amplify the energy Lernerz brings to the artwork. Together, the art and colors make Yumi: 00EX feel like something that could jump right off the comic page and onto a screen.

What also makes this first issue work for me is that it understands its job as an introduction. We’re meeting Yumi, learning who she is, getting a taste of what’s happening around her, and being introduced to the world she inhabits. The issue doesn’t need to give us every answer immediately. It gives us enough personality, energy, and intrigue to make me want to see where this story is going.

And that might be my biggest takeaway from Issue 1.

I want Issue 2 right now.

Yumi: 00EX Issue 1 is weird, energetic, colorful, funny, and completely committed to what it wants to be. Wagner and Silva introduce a concept with plenty of room to grow, while Lernerz and Cvetkvic give the book a visual identity that perfectly matches its wild personality.

This was so freaking good.

FINAL GRADE: 8.5

Yumi: 00EX Issue 1 is weird, energetic, colorful, funny, and completely committed to what it wants to be. Wagner and Silva introduce a concept with plenty of room to grow, while Lernerz and Cvetkvic give the book a visual identity that perfectly matches its wild personality. Yumi: 00EX Issue 1 is absolutely worth checking out at your local comic book shop.

But what do I know? I’m just a guy who loves reading comics. If you’ve read this comic, let me know down in the comments. Make sure to like, subscribe, and follow Fanlight Zone on all platforms.
And until next time...Read Your Comics.