E-Ratic #1 Review

 Writer and artist: 

Kaare Andrews

Rating: 6 of 8

E-Ratic #1

Does life's finite nature make it worse - or so much better? I suppose, sooner or later, that's the question most of us have to face. Whether knowing there's an end on the horizon makes it harder to face, or just the opposite. Sooner or later, we all run out of time. Time is certainly something young Oliver Leif knows all too well.

For 10 minutes a day, he's got super powers, but, as he says ''It's the other 1,430 minutes that I worry about''. It's understandable; for those 10 extraordinary minutes, he knows who he is and what he can do. But for the rest of the day, he's just like everyone else - and sometimes, that can be the scariest thing of all.

Apart from his powers, what he has to deal with is something many kids are very familiar with: a new school, a new town and a whole new set of people. It's something many people, myself included, can relate to. Getting used to this new place, with a whole new set of teachers and a bunch of kids that already have a shared history, that you can never be part of - it's enough stress to deal with without anything else to make things worse.

But sadly, life often finds a way to do just that. Oliver misses his Dad and, even now, replays their last phone call, far away from everyone else. It's a hard pain to bear and one Andrews illustrates beautifully, in both art and dialogue. Despite being dealt a bad hand, his mother tries her best, even if life doesn't always feel like reciprocating. With very little dialogue, Andrews shows how she copes. These scenes show, even at a young age, just how much Oliver has to deal with.

It's enough to make anyone want to give up, or strike out and yet, he doesn't. It's a startling contrast to how others respond to a problem, or how they choose to act, even without one. Choice is an important part of E-Ratic. Mr Marquez, his social studies teacher, believes it's obvious what a 'good' act is, though Kristen questions this, asking 'Like, how do I know what's ''good''?', while Oliver brings up how everyone doesn't always agree on everything. Case in point: Marquez thinks ''we must agree'', even if it means putting pressure on those who don't, ''for the good of the group''.

It's a dangerous group mentality that you'll find cropping up not only in the past, but also, sadly, in the present. It's not something relegated to social studies, but that also pops up earlier in the issue, as Miss Whip says to ''watch over each other - all the time!'' and to ''report on each other''. It, too, is a scary mentality, though it's one that reminds me of Ouroborus, the snake that eats it's own tail.

Overall, it's a very good debut. Andrews delivers plenty of memorable moments, like the opening scene, which, in just 2 splash pages, gives you both a sense of scale and urgency. The only criticism I have is that I wish Oliver struggled a little bit more socially, as, at times, it feels easier than I'd expect. Other than that, it's a very good issue, that's well worth your time - even if it's just 10 minutes. ;)