Comic Review: Border Town #1

Border Town #1

DC Vertigo

Writer: Eric M. Esquivel

Artist: Ramon Villalobos

Border Town is a comic that had some hype leading up to its release. It was a fresh take on mythology and America’s current vitriol under our President’s regime. It is a bold undertaking that needs a distinct creative team to pull it off. So how did Esquivel and Villalobos do?

Border Towns nuts and bolts is a simple and time-tested formula: kid (Frank) moves into a new town with his Mom and her boyfriend only to be picked on as the “new kid” in school. The new town is Devils Fork, AZ and it sits right on the border of Arizona and Mexico. It also resides on the border of our realm and a much darker realm full of monsters and mystery. It turns out the Frank is not the pushover his classmates thought he was. He has a lot of pent-up rage and is ready to take it out on anyone who comes his way. Even with this attitude, he is managing to make some allies that will come to be the core group of this series. Much more to come from this team and this first issue was a great success in my eyes.

Eric M. Esquivel isn’t a large name in the comic world. He has titles under his belt, but none of them are in your face top-tier material. Border Town will change this for him. He has a grasp of high school lifestyle and “teen speak” as it were and it flows nicely. I also like his portrayal of the illegal-alien-hating racists that open this book. It’s quite typical for a comic book and seems to fit the current political climate we are all living in.

Ramon Villalobos is a terrific talent that has worked on some well-known titles like the Original Sin event and Secret Wars from Marvel. His work is on display in Border Town, and it is fantastic. His character and creature designs are the top-notch here. A shout-out needs to go to the colorist, Tamra Bonvillain, who is adding to Villalobos’ art quite a bit. This team is no slouch, and this might end up being a hit for all involved and deservedly so.

For all the hype this comic had coming in, it exceeded my expectations. This premier issue wasn’t a waste. It set up the story and managed to have plenty of good scenes and panels to look back on. There is no fluff here. This is a genuinely great opener to a series that will now be pulled monthly by me. I recommend you do the same.