REVIEW: Blake Undying 1

Writer and Creator: Jason Cook
Artist: Ezequiel Rubio
Additional Colors: Jovanna Plata
Letters: Nikki Sherman
Cover: Ezequiel Rubio
Publisher: Digital Fiasco

I would like to introduce you to Blake Carson. He’s a man in his late 20’s who spends his days driving a desk in some cubicle farm for Corporate America.

Blake has some problems. He and his girlfriend have broken up. He hates his job. With so many walls he’s trapped in a rut. Upper ordinary would be a notable accomplishment. Sadly, short of winning the lottery, extraordinary isn’t going to happen for Blake.

This can be a tough row to hoe for anyone. With depression issues this is too much for Blake to bear. Tired of being the hamster running in the wheel he decides to end his life. Here we see Blake’s biggest problem. He can’t.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to. Blake has tried many methods. The more traditional options like overdosing on sleeping pills and jumping off a bridge didn’t do the trick. A toaster in the bathtub was a shocking disappointment. Even a stake through the heart couldn’t make his body get the point.

Blake is at the liquor store picking up some adult beverages when the best thing to help him happens: a couple punks decide to rob the place.

Blake goes out of his way to push the robbers’ buttons. Getting shot would be a decent way to try to get out of the game. When it doesn’t kill him the robbers get more than they can handle… and Blake realizes a world of possibilities lay before him.

Artwork:

.75 Stars

The artwork isn’t quite as detailed as I’d have liked. Even so it’s very powerful and sets the tone from the moment we meet Blake to the end of this issue.

Story:

.75 Stars

This series is off to a very interesting start. I like the concept that our protagonist wants to die but can’t. The series of events leading up to the conclusion of this issue has me wanting more.

Dialogue:

1 Star

Through Blake’s conversations we get a lot of the story. The quips about life insurance and a doctor’s note were especially amusing to me. They helped lighten some intense scenes.

Editing:

.75 Stars

The lettering is terrific. I like fonts that are easy to read. I would have liked a couple of captions to help with the setting, but knowing what city we were in didn’t effect the story.

Mechanics:

1 Star

This book was very easy to fall into. Blake is in a unique situation. Seeing the list of “failures” makes you feel for the guy. It reminded me of Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day.

With the recurring theme of suicide coupled with some of the language and gore I’d say the kids can miss this one until they get a bit older.

This entertaining read still has a little time left on its Kickstarter if you want to get a copy.

Go to: https://www.Kickstarter.com/projects/blakeundying/Blake-Undying-1-3 to get your copy today!

You can also get updates on this series at www.Blakeundying.com