• Comikaze 2011
• Comics

by Arcee on 11.11.11

Every once in a while, there are some projects that go completely under your personal radar that when you are made aware of them you just want to kick yourself in the ass for missing them in the first place. At the Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles recently, I had the chance to meet Jackson Lanzing and David Server who were participating in a horror panel I attended. After the panel, I went over to the booth they were at because of what they had said and the project they had spoken of. Freakshow. Freakshow was the collaborative work, along with artist Joe Suitor, which was published by Ape Entertainment and was a different take on the superhero genre. Taking what made the X-Men popular and kind of turning it up to the tenth degree with a dab of horror and mystery, Freakshow was about a team of heroes who were more like monsters than human but were standing up for what was right. Or are they?

Freakshow starts off like your typical hero comic but quickly changes the entire story by introducing this quasi post-apocalytic city where a major disaster has killed thousands of the cities inhabitants, as well as the only hero in the world, but has given a select few extraordinary abilities. But these are your typical powers - these are powers that the normal people in the story have deemed strange and broken; failed experiments. Because of that label, they are hunted down as the people in control of the situation want them brought under control for interfering with the experiments they are conducting in the city. But if the people in charge are conducting odd experiments, and this group is perceived as monsters, who can the people trust? More to the point, how can some members of both sides know what they are doing is right when everything seems so wrong?

I don’t want to talk too much of the story in Freakshow; the intricate plot twist and stories can be easily ruined with one slip of the tongue… or the wrong keystrokes. Get away from your comfort zone and try something new. Freakshow is that something new that even caught me by surprise, and I am a comic fan who likes looking past the traditional superhero faire as it is. Jackson Lanzing and David Server have weaved a remarkable tale of truth, lies and intrigue that should keep all kinds of comic book fans interested. This tale of horror and heroes is unlike anything I have read this year. And let’s not forget Joe Suitor’s art work in the book. All the pages are amazingly detailed and animated. The panels themselves could tell the story without words - that is how clear and well paced his artwork is. Do yourselves a favor and pick up a copy of the Freakshow trade paperback which collects the entire three issue series in one book. It is a story you would never have expected - and that is the best thing about it.