False Guard #1 Review

 Writer and

 artist: Merwan

Rating: 6 of 8

False Guard #1

There's nothing quite like a tournament. It offers a unique opportunity to get an insight into both the fighters' personalities and the skills that set them apart. In False Guard, though the world's bursting with personality and the tournament's popping with frenetic force, the issue's still got problems.

As Mané enters the city, he already faces an uphill battle as, having been guided there, he enters penniless and, because he had such a scarce amount to give, lost his steed to boot. Then, when he tries to enter a restaurant to fill his canteen and get a few leftovers, he's very promptly refused even that.

He's afforded very little kindness, until one man steps in and wows him, not only with his skills, but his kindness. We don't get much of him here, but what we do get shows that he's brimming with skill and crackling with personality. Right now, though, Mané's main focus is on the pankat tournament, with a round of clashes almost as relentless as the fighters themselves.

Though Merwan did well in keeping the action fierce and frenetic, he definitely could've made it easier to distinguish a lot of the fighters. Some, like the pale skinned Stone Man, easily stand out from the rest, but a lot of them look too similar, which makes it a bit harder to tell who's getting the upper hand.

My only other criticism was that it was unclear it had ended when it did and that either Merwan or the editor could've made it clearer, either through text, or imagery. Other than that, though, it was a pretty good issue, packed with thrills, intrigue, desperation and hope.