Comic review: Neverboy #3- Transcendent

Story: Shaun Simon
Art: Tyler Jenkins
Colours: Kelly Fitzpatrick
Cover art: Conor Nolan
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Released: 6th May 2015


There are two full-page panels* of beautiful artwork in Neverboy #3, and after you experience them it’s quite easy to forget that you’ve just been reading a beautifully complex, subtle, intelligent and emotionally engaging comic book narrative as well.

Neverboy #3 has a feel of philosophy about it, that feeling of concepts that you can almost touch, but try as you might they always seem tantalising near, yet just out of reach. I really do enjoy the book. It’s one of those books that I read over and over again.

I take my time with it because I know it’s good, and I want to understand why it’s good. I want to deconstruct it, like you are supposed to do if you are a proper comic book reviewer, or even if you are just a bloke reviewing a comic book for his Internet blog.

I like how the story lets you make your own mind up about it, that’s probably the key. I like how it lays itself open. It’s not telling you what to think. It just wants you to engage, in your own way, to make of it what you like. That’s rare in comic books, a book that invites contemplation, doesn’t preach and doesn’t tell you what is right, what is wrong, what is real, what is fantasy.

It’s a floaty book with floaty art, and I love it. It’s arty, but good arty, if you know what I mean. There’s no snobbishness to it. It’s just plain and simple good.

There are two moments that stand-out to me about issue #3, the first is the moment when the artist character reveals his painting, the masterpiece that shows he is back on form, full of new inspiration and ready to go. That’s a difficult thing to do as the painting is shown in a full-page panel, and it has to be good, really good, to work within the narrative.

You can’t talk about a writer regaining his creative muse and then show a blah example of his work that is supposed to be great, can you? What you need is something that is actually really very good, and guess what? That’s what they have here in this book, a full page painting of a diner with two space alien type creatures emerging from it’s Dr Who Tardis like front door, and it looks absolutely superb. I want it framed. I want it on my wall. I want to spend money on it and enjoy it every single time I walk into my living room.

The second moment is when a group of women talk about their life motivations. They openly admit that they live for material concerns, for shopping, for a house, a car, the status, the shoes, the plastic surgery. It’s all empty physicality, appearance, that idea that we are animals, that you get what you can because death lasts forever, and there is no heaven.

That Satanic (and that’s what real Satanism actually is, the belief in nothing but the animal self) is the dominant mind-set of our age. To see it expressed here by a group of pretty young rich ladies seems awfully real, and it’s the contrast with the mind-set of the artist, of the fantasy dreamer that puts a sharp edge to that awful contrast that is a real as real gets. 

Neverboy is fantasy, but fantasy on the edge of brutal reality, and to see the juxtaposition between the fakery of flesh, ego, materialism and status, and that which comes from the pure joy of the creative process is quite a jolt. It forces you into the realisation that there is a truth transcendent from the material status of the self, and that happiness does not come from a thing, it comes from within.

Neverboy #3 then continues the excellence exhibited in the first two issues of the title. I’ve attempted to get to the core of why it works here, but I really cannot do it justice with words alone. Buy the book, read it slowly, enjoy it, then do it all over again.


Rating: 10/10 (Transcendent)

* The first panel is in the main narrative of the text and is by main artist Tyler Jenkins. The second full-page panel of beautiful artwork comes after the conclusion of the story and is by Taylan Kurtulus.

Comic Review: Neverboy #2- There’s something magical about this one

Writer: Shaun Simon
Artist: Tyler Jenkins
Colours: Kelly Fitzpatrick
Cover: Conor Nolan
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Released: 1st April 2015


The first issue of Neverboy was such a joy, bringing forth a new idea into the comic book sphere, and doing it so very well. But so often in the comic book world a good start flatters to deceive and that one initial idea is pretty much all that the comic has to offer. Bearing all of that in mind, let’s get the following question answered as quickly as possible:

Is Neverboy #2 any good?

In short, it’s excellent. It brings new elements into the narrative and is just as exciting, enjoyable and creative as that tremendous opening. Did I ever have any doubts that this second issue wouldn’t be as good as the first? Not really, strange though that may seem, I just knew that this one would be good before I even read it.

Something is going on with the writing here, as it’s absolutely inspired. The main protagonist of the story doesn’t even make an appearance until the half-way point of the book, with the first half spent introducing a down on his luck, out of work and out of inspiration artist. It’s quite ironic really as writer Shaun Simon has introduced his complete opposite here, an artist running out of ideas, when he himself is very apparently overflowing with them.

The technique of introducing this character (and even featuring him on the front cover) works so well, and there is a gentle, slow, pondering sadness to the pacing in this first half that creates an impression of going nowhere, of having stopped. As the book reaches the half-way point it absolutely explodes with life as the manic, drug hunting, trying to cling to this reality, yet bristling with energy and inspiration Neverboy arrives on the scene, injecting new life into the suicidal artist.

There’s something special happening here, and it’s difficult to fully describe it. Like a really good magic show this book is just something that you have to experience for yourself. A review can attempt to capture what is going on, but you need to experience it yourself to fully appreciate and understand the context and subtle texture of the experience.

I’m not sure if other reviewers have mentioned this before, but the writing here reminds me of Neil Gaiman, when he was young, when he was new, and when he was bristling with energy and creativity that leapt of the pages of those early Sandman comic books. And just like those books, it’s the art being in perfect synch with the writing that really kicks Neverboy into another level. 

There’s a connection between writer and artist here. They understand what their world is all about, they both get it, and their vision is combining quite beautifully to create a book about art, about creativity, about inspiration that is overflowing with all of these qualities itself. 

Neverboy is a portal, much like Sandman. Something hugely exciting is beginning here. It’s overflowing with that elusive, much sought after, yet rarely found element of new life that is birthed within superior works of creative art. It’s rare, very rare, and I run the risk of going overboard here, but there’s something magical about this one.


Rating: 10/10 (Absolutely superb second issue, with so much promise for what is still to come)

Comic book review: Neverboy #1- Avoid the previews, just buy the book

Writer: Shaun Simon
Artist: Tyler Jenkins
Colourist: Kelly Fitzpatrick
Cover Artist: Conor Nolan
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Released: 4th March 2015


Don’t read the previews for this book, as they spoil the central idea that makes it so much fun, and worth purchasing in the first place.

Neverboy #1 has an idea, that idea is new, and you don’t get much that is really new in comics these days. You’ll have to trust me on this one, as I’m not going to say much about the book during this review. Just take my word for it that Neverboy #1 is a bloody good comic, take a chance, buy it, and I’m pretty sure that you’ll both like it, and thank me for warning you about the previews.

I can understand why the central idea was leaked to the preview writers. It’s a great idea, and knowing about that idea tempted me into purchasing the book in the first place, not the writer or artist, it was that one idea, and when you have a great idea why not tell everybody about it?

The worst thing surely would be to have a great idea, keep it secret, then have nobody buying your book, so by releasing the idea at least you get people’s attention. I understand that perfectly, so this review is for those fortunate people out there who haven’t yet read any previews.

JUST BUY THE BOOK.

That’s all you need to know.

Neverboy #1 made me smile, made me happy, made me feel good about the comic book genre as a whole and reminded me that all it takes is one idea, and everything feels brand new again.

Rating: 10/10