Coffin Bound #1, published by Image Comics, is written by Dan Watters, illustrated by DANI, with coloring by Brad Simpson and lettering by Aditya Bidikar. The story follows Izzy Tyburn, a woman who is being hunted down by an unstoppable killer. Izzy decides that if the world doesn’t want her in it, then it can have nothing of her since she knows that her days are numbers. She decides to retrace her entire life so that she leaves nothing behind. Izzy, along with her new acquaintance The Vulture, embarks on a dangerous journey and will stop at nothing to make sure her mission is complete.
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Within the first few pages, this comic reminded me of the Mad Max series and Philip K. Dick’s novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. All three are set in a dystopian world and have a main character that’s clearly gone through a lot of trauma. However, Coffin Bound #1 manages to differentiate itself through its elements of the supernatural and with its serious tone. Both Watters and DANI have developed a world in which trouble lurks around every corner and a protagonist that isn’t afraid to dive into danger. Izzy gets the news of an unstoppable killer being after her and doesn’t take this lightly. She is not willing to let anyone get in her way for riding herself from a world that she believes never gave her anything. Her character is written as a protagonist with nothing to lose. It makes her that much more determined and it’ll be interesting to see where this determination takes her.
DANI’s artwork made this comic come to life in ways that I never quite thought would be possible. Had this just been a collection of images, they would immediately give off an impression of a dystopian world full of danger. The environments drawn in the comic perfectly fit the tone that it’s trying to establish. DANI’s artwork brings out the noir elements that will surely carry this series forward. The design of the being who is after Izzy stands out the most. Not only does it fit the supernatural elements discussed earlier, but the design is quite terrifying. It definitely gives off a menacing vibe that is not meant to be taken lightly.
Certain aspects of the comic were a bit hard to follow at times. Most of the confusion comes from the meeting that happens at a bar. The conversation between some of the characters was a bit difficult to follow. I had to go back and read it a few times before I fully understood what they were saying. It would be too extreme to say it was trying too hard with some of the themes in the conversation, but it took away from the flow of the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading the first issue of Coffin Bound #1. Aside from the part of the comic in the middle that was a bit confusing, it did an incredible job setting up the direction that the entire series will take. Given the way the comic ended, learning more about Izzy will surely be a highlight of the series. The sinister force that’s after her showed just how terrifying and dangerous he can be. It looks like Izzy and The Vulture are in for quite a road trip and I will surely be picking up future issues.
Coffin Bound #1 is available August 8, 2019.
Coffin Bound #1
TL;DR
Aside from the part of the comic in the middle that was a bit confusing, it did an incredible job setting up the direction that the entire series will take.
