Comic Review: Parked (2019-) #1

Parked #1

Midnight Drive-In

Writer: Matt Curley

Artist: Brenon Conn

In the summer of 2018, I found an account on Instagram posting sketches and some finished pages from a comic book. I think I mainly found them because they started following me if I’m being honest. But I did take an interest in the comic they were making, and almost a year later that comic is coming out.

Our main character in Parked #1 is Brenon. We follow him as he goes from a job interview to his first day working at Movieland, a movie-themed amusement park. Applying for an animator job, Brenon instead becomes a ride operator in “The Horrible House of Horrors”. It’s there that he meets his co-workers, who for the most part aren’t concerned with working, and more with just hanging out.

There’s a lot of good, funny moments in this comic. Some a little more obvious, like the main character getting run over by a cart on the ride. Some are a little more subtle and take a second to sink in, whether it’s something someone says or small detail in the art. The characters are easy to identify with as well, with Brenon as the new guy, and the reader’s point of view. There’s the manager who takes the job a little too seriously, and then some slacker employees, who don’t too much actual work. They’re all people you can find at any job, just with the dial turned to 11.

The art in this comic is great. Brenon Conn fully takes on all the art duties, penciling, inking, and coloring everything, and even doing the lettering. It’s a cartoon-like style, with mostly flat colors, and it works really well for the story. There’s also a lot of details in the background and some of the larger panels. There’s a double page spread that’s a real highlight though. The background of it is a map of the park and it’s full of small details. There are panels covering some parts of it, but it’s still great to look at and go over.

This is a really good and funny comic. This first issue does a good job of setting up the characters and world of Parked. And, I think most people can relate to the characters and the setting, in one way or another. The art is really great, and compliments the story it’s telling. Overall, I think this is a good first issue. I’ve waited nearly a year for it, and I’m not disappointed, and you won’t be either if you read it.