REVIEW: ‘Barnstormers,’ Issue #1

Barnstormers #1 is a thrilling new ComiXology original comic co-created by writer Scott Snyder and artist Tula Lotay with colors by Dee Cunniffe and letters by Richard Starkings. I’m a sucker for things with old airplanes in them, so I was already hooked on Barnstormers #1 from the cover alone. Still, when Hawk E. Baron, pilot extraordinaire, says his only regret was the murder and we flash to a blazing mansion and blood-dashed cliffs, well, I was all in.

I’m not fully sure what kind of story Barnstormers #1 is going to turn out to be. A high-flying adventure? A sci-fi action-thriller? A mystery? Some of everything? I’m in no rush to find out too fast, as this new series has me utterly enthralled, and I’m willing to follow it anywhere it goes. Our main character is debonaire, his plight is thrilling, and the many layers of complication beneath and before him leave me wanting more so badly. It uses dramatic irony exceptionally well while also still leaving some absolutely confounding questions to uncover for ourselves later.

The art has a unique airbrush tone to it that makes even beige tones look bright with the way it uses lighting effects in every panel. The color of the sky is always particularly stark and beautiful, the color changing sometimes slightly and sometimes dramatically to reflect the mood of the panel. The characters and select background objects seem to completely pop off the page, which does become a shred uncanny if you stare at it too long, but otherwise gives a nice storybook kind of feel to the drawing. The costuming, in particular Hawk’s jacket and a certain bride’s dress, are some of the standout aspects of the art as well. Lettering is done in a straightforward and quite easy-to-read font and format.

There’s one side-plot that I was left nearly forgetting as soon as it happened, which has me feeling like the first issue was perhaps a bit overstuffed. Not because it detracted from my enjoyment of this issue whatsoever, but because I worry that by the second issue, I may well forget about that seemingly non-germane moment that surely will prove important later on. Otherwise, it really is an exquisite comic from top to bottom, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Barnstormers #1 is just so much fun and so pretty. There is a whole lot I feel like I just can’t say at the risk of spoiling some of the surprises, but this high-flying sci-fi mystery has me completely hooked and completely strapped in for whatever the series throws our way next.

Barnstormers #1 is available now via ComiXology.