Review #1: Clown

Written by James Maddox

Art by Brandon Lauhon

I recently got to read the preview of Clown, a comic written by James Maddox with Art by Brandon Lauhon.  I need to tell you that I have not read a comic in sometime that I enjoyed as much as Clown.

Not your normal super hero fare, Clown is the story of Jared Bastian, a down-on-his-luck journalist who now makes his living as a clown. Living in a dystopian society, Jared is simply trying to get by by flying under the radar. Fed up with his life and the situation he finds himself in, Jared finally has enough when one night unexpected events at the circus occur and he finds himself the unsung hero. By the end of the preview this man, living as a clown, finds himself reluctantly thrust into the spotlight.

This is a story is so well written and executed it could easily work as a novel or movie. Without a lot of heavy-handed narration in the beginning of the story, the reader is quickly drawn into the world of Jared Bastian. Where some comics fail by trying to spoonfeed the reader a lot of information in the first couple pages, Clown let’s you enjoy the ride. By the end of the third page you have a strong emotional connection with Jared.

With a great pace each beat of the story is perfectly hit by both writer and artist.

The art has a realistic and gritty feel that really complements the masterfully written story. The preview I received is in black and white as James Maddox is unsure if he wants to color it. I feel that he shouldn’t as the black and white of the book really complements the story well.

Though on the surface this seem like a story that could be happening in today’s world, through the events of the story we realize we are not on the earth we know. Just when the reader gets comfortable with where the story is going, we take a dramatic turn and realize we aren’t in ‘Kansas’ anymore. But again this is the story of Jared Bastian – the Clown – and we never stray from this in the preview. If you get a chance to read this comic I say you must. This comic could be put up against the likes of Watchmen or The Dark Knight Returns.

I highly recommend keeping your eyes out for this one. I give Clown 9 out of 10 Capes

James Maddox website: http://www.jamesmaddox.net