Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: N/A
Written by: Gabriel Benson
Penciled and Inked by: Mike Hawthorne
Colored by: Mike Atiyeh
Lettered by: Omar Mediano
Cover by: Jeff Amano
Managing Editor: Gabriel Benson
Publisher: Beckett Comics
Free Comic Book Day was a perfect opportunity for me to sample a wide range of works that I otherwise would never have had the chance to read. There were a number of strong freebies made available, many of which appealed mostly to youthful readers that are brand new to the comic reading experience. As a fan of several decades of comic reading, the best of all the offerings, by a wide margin was The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty from Beckett Comics. I’m talking about accessibility—this was the actual first issue of a new series—story, art, and just the overall presentation—the book was printed on similar paper to most of Marvel’s offerings, and offered a heavy stock cover. On top of all that, this was a comic that could appeal to men, woman, and children equally.
Beckett a longtime leader in the field of sports collectible magazines is a relatively new player on the comic market, but they put their best foot forward and perhaps placed the industry on notice. I haven’t had the opportunity to sample any of their other titles yet (Ruule, The Terminator, and the soon to be released Fade to Grace). Their name is certainly on my radar now, and I’ll be keeping up with future releases.
The book in hand
Issue #1 begins with two men about to face the gallows in an old west town. They are left there over night to face their fate in the morning. As they wait to die we learn a little about each of the men. The older man, Cole Jarrett, witnessed the murder of his beloved and has spent the ensuing years trying to find her killer. Red, is a teenager, or perhaps a twenty-something, that tells legend of a town named Briar Rose (who is often referred to as Sleeping Beauty) from which the book gets its reference to Sleeping Beauty. Neither man leaves the gallows this issue, but we’re treated to a dream sequence that catches us up on Cole, as well as Red’s recollection of the legend, and his hope of enlisting Cole’s help. All that, and we’re left with an interesting little last page cliffhanger.
Westerns are rarely given such big budget comic treatment in this day and age. Yet this isn’t just a classic western, this is the beginnings of a fairy tale, and one that should be able to capture the interest of the most cynical reader. I’m not willing to call this one of the best books of the year YET, but Beckett has got me interested enough to check out the next offering in August and if things remain of this quality that’s one more title that will find its way on to my pull-list.
What really makes the book standout is the top-to-bottom quality. The story by Gabriel Benson is wholly entertaining, and it’s equally met with the first-rate artwork by Mike Hawthorne. Hawthorne characters and setting capture the flavor of the old west, but there’s a fairy tale quality lent to the art as well. Hawthorne’s lines are well served by Mike Atiyeh’s muted color palette. The old west is not a land of pleasure, and Atiyeh brings that point home beautifully. It’s a beautiful but dangerous world that we’re exposed to in The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty #1.
I still can’t believe the quality of this comic and the fact that I got it for FREE! Of course Beckett has hit an absolute moon-shot of a homerun with this book. They have put their line out there to be seen by myriad comic fans like myself, but also they’ve showcased their wares to the uninitiated of which FCBD must be the single best day to spotlight your material. If you have the opportunity give the book a look. It’s not often you can get something this good for nothing!
