World Famous Comics: Johnny Repeat 1.0: The End of the Way that Was
Johnny Repeat 1.0: The End of the Way that Was
By: Jason James Publisher: Citizen Press Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Citizen Press Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 104 Publication Date: September 13, 2006
Product Description: If you woke up one day in your past remembering everything leading up to the present, would you make a new future? The answer lies with Johnny Repeat, a mysterious eight year old could-be prophet harboring a dark secret and an overflow of strange knowledge. Recruiting an ensemble of broken souls to carryout his mind blowing agenda, some of these people were friends to Johnny in another once upon a time, mentors even. Some were mortal enemies. Whatever the case, Johnny's been given a second chance. And the clock is ticking. Consider this your final warning.
The comics equivalent of The Velvet Underground And by that, I mean there's nothing cooler.
Read the first few pages of Johnny Repeat, and you'll quickly realize you're in store for a lot more than a regular graphic novel. The pace and storytelling are cinematic and you'll be sucked into a world that is part Matrix, part Blade Runner and part Groundhog Day.
Ground Hog Day? Yep. It's about trying to influence the future as you run headlong into it. (Notable difference: There are a lot more guns and violence in Johnny Repeat)
Writer Jason James keeps the pace high but mysterious - the perfect combination to keep the pages turning. As a previous reviewer alluded to, the story encourages repeat readings to reveal clues and meanings under the top layer.
And repeat readings are a must to truly enjoy the artwork as it shifts from artist to artist like chapters in a book. These guys are good and it looks like they really enjoyed this project.
Johnny Repeat is a multi-volume story (why else would he call it vol. 1?). If this first installment is any indication, it's going to be quite a ride. I suggest hopping on.
A wondrous strange story, full of layers, that begs repeated readings Johnny Repeat is a dark and freakish story that intrigues from the outset and carries the reader through bizarro episodes of murder, distruction, and mayhem. The layers of story are apparent in the first read, and by the end I was anxious to return to the beginning--or to the past, as with Johnny--to understand the nuances that can only be fully appreciated on repeat readings. The illustrations are sharp and dark like the plot. The puns, wordplays, and hidden scrawlings on walls all help put the pieces together. A cool, cool book.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
