Formera Vol. 1 TPB
Written and illustrated by Andrew Dobson
Alterna Comics
Cover price: $9.95; Available Now

So imagine this: You fall from the sky smack down in the middle of an ocean, that’s how it starts. You’re then rescued by a girl, looks more or less your age, fair hair, has the whole survivor look going for her/against her (points of view I guess). There you are, soaked, on a boat with Jane Savage talking gibberish and with no clue where you are or how you got there. That’s the plot of Formera.

You start by meeting Darien and Keisha (survivor chick) on a boat filled with fish. It all seems like the perfect set up for marine life to start singing, building them up to an awkward kiss, instead what you get is a lot of “Yikes” and other primal sound reactions followed constantly by questions that never really get answered. That’s where I started having a problem with the book. It seemed to force the unknown variable far too deep, far too fast down my throat. That being said, the whole experience seems fun from the get go. Andrew Dobson does a great job giving distinct voices to each character and by the time you finish the first volume you’ll feel like you understand most of them.

The plot itself is pretty straightforward up until now at least. Darien is looking for a way to get back to Earth to escape a world he doesn’t understand. Keisha, his first acquaintance in this strange world, isn’t very helpful mostly because, like most of the characters, she can’t speak English. After a first encounter with these shadow-like beings that you’ll get used to pretty fast, you finally meet the main villain from which they seem to spawn: Mezteck. His motivations will elude you even after you read the whole volume but before you’re done you’ll get to meet midget sensei, old-young hipster, and creepy masked kid.

The art feels like a mixture of Manga style with Saturday morning cartoon thrown in the mix. It works well and although it’s not spectacular, it accomplishes its purpose helping the story move along and making every character feel unique. Bottom line, if you’re a fan of quirky mysteries and word balloons you won’t understand, then look no further. Andrew Dobson’s creation delivers a good time, a fun experience, and a great way for non-Manga fans to test the water and see what’s being done on the other side of the pool. With so many books being put out nowadays, especially where the Manga market is concerned, it might not be a top recommendation but like I said, it’s fun and with the current serious climate in comics, fun is what we need.