Comic Book Review: Bermuda #1

IDW Publishing

Writer: John Layman

Artists: Nick Bradshaw & Len O’Grady

Letters: John Layman

On the strange island of Trangle (It’s definitely not spelled Triangle), a young girl Bermuda is marooned. She was raised on the island as a baby and now the 16-year-old survives the dangerous wilderness filled with dinosaurs, pirates, and fish people. Yep, Bermuda #1 must be another strange comic by John Layman.

After their plane goes down on this island, siblings Andi and Robert are separated. Robert finds himself being rescued by Bermuda, who quickly tries to adjust the affluent boy to his new surroundings. It’s a familiar script, though Layman does have a few endearing characters to make Bermuda stand out. Bermuda in particular is interesting even if she is a bit trope-y. She is adept at survival, but she is also naive to Western customs. She is gracious but blunt, and she eats foods that we would find repulsive. Robert and the doctor who raised Bermuda are both characters that ground the story. Robert is the panicked person that one would expect in this situation, while the doctor has some familiar ties with the outside world despite living on the island for decades.

This issue gives the series is a solid start, but it doesn’t do an excellent job at hooking the reader. There is tons of potential for fun on the island of Trangle, but we just don’t see enough in the first issue. The issue is full of excitement, but the pacing lacks any kind of real exposition. There is a nice twist at the end of the issue that implies where the series is going, which makes me hopeful for the next few issues. Layman has some solid ideas here, so I hope we get to see them all be fully realized.

Nick Bradshaw and Len O’Grady are a solid team that adds some much-needed life to Trangle. The jungles are full of detail, with tons of excellent linework by Bradshaw. Meanwhile, Grady fills every panel with an extravagant amount of color. Every background looks excellent. There is also some great composition here too, with excellent poses that allow for the action to be easily followed. The characters themselves look fine, with expressive faces that tell stories by themselves.

It doesn’t do enough to get readers fully invested, but this is a fun issue that might be worth investing time into. The characters are fun and the creative team is solid. If the concept seems fun to you, check out Bermuda #1.